Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Presidents Club

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any Ministers in his Department attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner run by the Meller Educatonal Trust in an official capacity.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: No Department for Transport Ministers attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner run by the Meller Educational trust.

Biofuels

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings have taken place between Ministers of his Department or members of its Low Carbon Fuels team and counterparts in other countries on E10 fuel and overseas experiences of its implementation since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, on January 18 2018, Official Report, column 634, if his Department will publish details of meetings Ministers and officials of his Department have held with fuel suppliers in each year since 2015.

Jesse Norman: Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives from fuel suppliers and counterparts in other countries, and discuss a wide range of issues. Details of meetings taking place with either Ministers or the Permanent Secretary and external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are available via the gov.uk website. Other officials at the Department are not required to keep a record of meetings attended and a comprehensive list of meetings with fuel suppliers and counterparts in other countries could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, officials hold regular meetings with such parties. These include stakeholder meetings and workshops with fuel suppliers affected by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, and regular meetings with counterparts from other EU Member States as part of the Concerted Action on Renewable Energy Sources group. Information on Concerted Action is available at https://www.ca-res.eu/index.php?id=2 The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, sponsored by Government and industry, runs a working group which considers E10 as well as new labelling requirements under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive. This group takes into account experiences in other countries. Details of working group meetings are athttps://www.lowcvp.org.uk/projects/fuels-working-group/e10-public-info-prep.htm

Department for Transport: Public Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on (a) art, (b) wine and (c) hospitality in each of the last seven financial years for which figures are available.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: a) All art used within the Department’s headquarters is on loan from the government art collection, while other images used around the building are sourced through typesetting contracts. Therefore, the department has not incurred any expenditure specifically on the purchase of artwork in the last 7 financial years. b) The Department’s policy on Travel and Subsistence is that staff are not able to reclaim alcoholic beverages as expenses. Over the 7 year financial periods, no alcohol has been purchased for use within the Department’s premises, except where paid for (and not reclaimed) by DfT staff, or Ministers. c) Hospitality is appropriate only exceptionally where there are external visitors. Information on spend incurred in the previous 7 financial years is provided in the following table:  2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Central Department DfTc£120,646£67,362£49,202£63,850£81,237£103,173£102,537Executive Agencies:   DVSA£663£235£199£6,132£140£74£15DVLA£64,561£63,220£52,752£56,510£30,233£24,571£26,244MCA£16,516£13,442£20,966£21,858£14,016£28,195£27,995VCA£14,322£13,290£21,002£10,764£13,852£9,377£7,395Total Expenditure£216,707 £157,549 £144,121 £159,114 £139,478 £165,390 £164,187  By way of comparison, it has previously been put on record that the Department and its Executive Agencies (including the Highways Agency at that time) spent £647,623 on hospitality in 2009/10.

Buses: Visual Impairment

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 16 June 2015 to Question 2203, whether it remains his Department’s position that there will be no requirement to fit artificial sound devices on electric and hybrid-electric buses prior to July 2019.

Jesse Norman: The Department’s position is to follow the timetable for introduction of the requirement to fit these devices agreed across Europe. Manufacturers of electric and hybrid-electric buses, and those who procure such vehicles, may choose to fit an artificial sound generating device provided it complies with relevant legislation.

Biofuels

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of waste-based biodiesel which will be used in 2020; and what information his Department holds on the amount of such biodiesel which was used in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2013-14, and (c) 2012-13.

Jesse Norman: In September we published “The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order, Government response to the consultation on amendments”. Appendices of Annex A of that Government response include details of the evidence and assumptions underpinning our analysis of the costs and benefits of the proposals. Table 30 in Appendix 3 includes estimates of waste-based biodiesel supply to 2020 and beyond. Biofuel statistics setting out the amount of biofuel by feedstock reported under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) are published on the Department for Transport pages of the gov.uk website. These statistics indicate that the volume of waste-based biodiesel supplied was as follows (a) 742 million litres in 2014-15, (b) 749 million litres in 2013-14, and (c) 461 million litres in 2012-13.

EU Internal Trade

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the proportion of trade is in and out of each of the UK's major ports which is directly linked to intra EU trade.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The proportion of port freight tonnage handled by each major UK sea port on routes to the EU in 2016 is shown in the attached table (excel file), broken down by direction (inwards or outwards). 



Port Freight Statistics
(Excel SpreadSheet, 16.79 KB)

Blue Badge Scheme: Autism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to introduce a Blue Badge scheme for people diagnosed with autism.

Jesse Norman: The Department is currently consulting on Blue Badge eligibility for people with hidden disabilities. The consultation ends on 18 March. Decisions on the future eligibility criteria will be taken when all views have been considered.

Railways: North of England

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect on journey times between Hull and Manchester of the provision in the TransPennine franchise that trains will stop at an increased number of stations on that route after 19 May 2018.

Joseph Johnson: From May 2018 the journey time increases by 8 minutes due to 3 additional station stops going into the timetable. This is as a result of a major re-cast by the current TransPennine franchisee of the North TransPennine services from May 2018. No further change to journey time is currently planned beyond that point.

Great Western Railway Line: Electrification

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the paused parts of the Great Western electrification to be resumed; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: The Government’s Statement of Funds Available for the railway for Control Period 6 (covering the years 2019-2024) was set out in October 2017. The Statement of Funds Available includes funding to continue to take forward the enhancements that were deferred from Control Period 5, including the schemes which were deferred on the Great Western route. In line with the new process for enhancements these schemes will continue to be subject to ongoing consideration to ensure they deliver the best results for both rail users and taxpayers. These enhancements will be taken forward through a new process in the form of a pipeline, designed to ensure investment best addresses the needs of passengers and freight, and that funding commitments appropriately reflect the stage of development of enhancements. Under this process, we will only commit enhancements for development, design, or delivery when they have been properly worked through, to avoid the problems of the past, where schemes were committed to too early. We will be setting out more details on the new enhancements process shortly.

Members: Correspondence

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to reply to the letter of 1 September 2017 from the hon. Member for Sefton Central on plans for a road through Rimrose Valley.

Jesse Norman: A reply was sent out on 29 September 2017. A duplicate has now been sent.

HM Treasury

Republic of Ireland: Overseas Trade

Nigel Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information he holds on the amount of trade originating in the Irish Republic which transited the UK en route to overseas destinations in each of the last five years.

Mel Stride: As the UK and Ireland are currently both members of the EU Customs Union, it is not possible to provide data specifically on the volume of trade that moves through the UK from Ireland en route to overseas destinations. This is because there are no customs formalities required between the two countries which would allow the Government to quantify such movement. There is broader information available on trade between the UK and Ireland. HMRC publishes the Overseas Trade Statistics at uktradeinfo.com, which indicate that £30bn of goods were traded between the UK and Ireland in 2016 (£16.9bn exported from the UK, £13.1bn imported).

Treasury: Voting Rights

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to mark the centenary of women getting the right to vote in 1918.

Robert Jenrick: There are plans to have an internal event organised by HMT staff to mark 100 years since some women were given the right to vote in the UK.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Government Shareholding

Danielle Rowley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the Government's shareholding in RBS of changes in the level of RBS customers.

John Glen: The Government’s shareholding in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is managed at arm's length and on a commercial basis through UK Financial Investments Ltd, a company which is wholly owned by the Government. RBS has made significant progress on resolving its legacy issues and refocusing on serving British businesses and consumers. The Government’s policy remains to return its shareholding in RBS to the private sector, when it represents value for money to do so and market conditions allow. At Autumn Budget 2017, the Government announced that it intends to recommence RBS share sales before the end of 2018‑19, and dispose of around £15 billion worth of shares by 2023.

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how much the Government will spend on tax free childcare in each of the next five years.

Elizabeth Truss: The information requested is available at http://obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-november-2017/

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate how many families will benefit from the tax-free childcare scheme.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) National Savings and Investments staff will be employed administering tax-free childcare in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of divorced and separated parents who will have to decide which of them should own a tax-free childcare account; how HM Revenue and Customs plans to resolve disputes over such decisions; and what additional resources will be committed for this purpose.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the potential effect of the tax-free childcare scheme on childcare prices; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: HMRC and Department for Education commissioned a feasibility study into evaluating the impact of new childcare policies on the childcare market. This is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/499168/Feasibility_study_into_evaluating_the_labour_and_childcare_market_impacts_of_Tax-Free_Childcare_and_the_Free_Early_Education_Entitlement.pdf The study concluded that it would be difficult to attribute changes in the childcare market definitively to a single childcare policy given the concurrent introduction of other childcare changes, and other external factors that could impact upon the market. However, HMRC and the Department for Education will be monitoring trends in the childcare market, and conducting research to understand parents and childcare providers’ views on the impacts.For the current financial year 2017/18 we forecast there to be 130 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in HMRC and 160 FTE within National Savings & Investments. We estimate that in financial year 2018/19 there will be 250 FTE staff employed in HMRC and 220 FTE within National Savings & Investments. These forecasts are reviewed regularly and are subject to change. Regarding how many families will benefit from Tax-Free Childcare, I refer the Hon. Member to the response I gave to the Hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North on 29 January (124793). The Government has not made an estimate on the number of divorced or separated parents who will have to decide which of them will have the Tax-Free Childcare account. HMRC have a process for dealing with different claims from such parents. The first parent that applies for a childcare account and is eligible, is given an account. If another person later applies for the same child both parents are contacted and asked whether they’re content to stand aside for the other applicant (so that the case can be resolved amicably). If they chose not to do this, both parents are asked to provide evidence in support of their claim. HMRC resolve cases based on the facts of each case. The losing parent can appeal, in which case both parents are party to the appeal.

Bank Services: Internet

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of The Minister for Higher Education of 30 January 2018, on Keep Me Posted campaign, if he will make an estimate of the number of people unable to access online bank services.

John Glen: I refer the honourable member to the answer that I gave on 17 January to PQ UIN 121701.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Companies House

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timescale is for his Department’s review of Companies House.

Andrew Griffiths: In line with Cabinet Office guidance*, the Department will undertake a tailored review of Companies House within this Parliament. *https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tailored-reviews-of-public-bodies-guidance

Wind Power: Contracts

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which companies have won contracts for difference for offshore wind in each of the last three years.

Claire Perry: Companies who have won contracts for difference for offshore wind are: Project nameDeveloper2015East Anglia OneEast Anglia One LimitedNeart na GaoitheNeart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Limited2017Moray Offshore Windfarm (East)Moray Offshore Wind (East) LimitedHornsea Project 2Breesea LimitedTriton Knoll Offshore Wind FarmTriton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited

Small Businesses: West Midlands

Lucy Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department is providing to SMEs in the West Midlands before the UK leaves the EU.

Andrew Griffiths: Our Industrial Strategy aims to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business, and a global draw for the most innovative companies. We are already doing a lot for small and medium sized (SMEs) enterprises in the West Midlands.Growth Hubs help simplify the business support landscape, providing joined up access to the full range of local and national support programmes (public and private). Since their launch, the six Growth Hubs in the West Midlands have engaged and supported over 37,500 businesses; delivered over 2,200 intensive assists; and helped over 1,850 individuals to start a business.Businesses in the West Midlands can also access national support through GOV.UK and the Business Support Helpline.British Business Bank programmes are currently facilitating over £629m to 3,493 businesses in the West Midlands. In addition the Start Up loans programme has issued 4,421 loans to value of over £30m.The West Midlands also forms part of the Midlands Engine. A key part of the Government’s strategy for fuelling growth in the region is the £250m Midlands Engine Investment Fund, which aims to transform the finance landscape for smaller businesses in the Midlands, accelerate economic growth and promote job creation. The Fund launched its first wave, £120m of Debt and Small Business funds, in August 2017.Alongside this, the Government is working with the European Union to agree a deal on an implementation period and future partnership following the UK’s exit in order to ensure a smooth and orderly transition for businesses. Any additional support provided to small businesses will also be informed by the outcome of these ongoing negotiations.

Small Businesses: Telford

Lucy Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many small and medium-sized enterprises in Telford constituency have received support under each business support scheme operated by his Department since 2010.

Andrew Griffiths: Our Industrial Strategy aims to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business, and a global draw for the most innovative companies. We are already doing a lot for small and medium sized (SMEs) enterprises in Telford. Over 14,000 businesses have been supported and 239 people have had help to start a new business by The Marches Growth Hub which provides support to local SMEs in the area. Growth Hubs help simplify the business support landscape providing joined up access to the full range of local and national support programmes (public and private). Since November 2014, British Business Bank programmes have facilitated over £70m to 131 businesses in the constituency of Telford.* This includes 63 Start Up loans at a value of over £420k. Telford constituency is also part of the Midlands Engine. A key part of the Government’s strategy for fuelling growth in the region is the £250m Midlands Engine Investment Fund, which aims to transform the finance landscape for smaller businesses in the Midlands, accelerate economic growth and promote job creation. The Fund launched its first wave, £120m of Debt and Small Business funds, in August 2017.** Since 2010-11, Innovate UK has also provided over £345,000 of funding to 8 businesses in the Telford constituency so that they can take forward their ideas and make them commercially viable. *British Business Bank received State Aid clearance in November 2014, figures show flow of finance facilitated from November 2014 date to the end of September 2017 only** constituency level data on MEIF is not available

Business: Telford

Lucy Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on businesses in Telford of the Industrial Strategy.

Andrew Griffiths: Through our Industrial Strategy we are taking action to boost productivity and earning power in businesses across all parts of the UK. We are driving an additional £20bn of investment into high-growth potential businesses over the next 10 years, and committing record levels of investment into infrastructure and R&D across the country. The Government has supported and invested in the creation of a network of 38 Growth Hubs (one in each Local Enterprise Partnership area), providing businesses across England with tailored advice and support. Businesses in Telford can access support through The Marches Growth Hub which has, since its launch in 2015, worked with over 14,000 businesses and helped 239 individuals to start up a new business. The Government is providing a further £24m of core funding for Growth Hubs over the next 2 years.

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to reduce the high deemed rental costs associated with contracts between meter asset providers and energy suppliers, particularly when a customer switches energy supplier.

Claire Perry: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) SMETS1 and (b) SMETS2 gas meters have been installed under the smart meters roll-out programme.

Claire Perry: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether smart meter installation costs have increased from the time when the 2016 cost-benefit analysis was conducted.

Claire Perry: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate has he made of the number of smart meters that will be installed under the smart meter roll-out programme by 2020.

Claire Perry: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Gratuities

Darren Jones: To ask Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received on hospitality workers being forced to pay a proportion of table sales to their employer; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government received a wide range of evidence in relation to tipping in response to a call for evidence and a subsequent consultation. The Government is committed to ensuring all workers are paid fairly, and at least at the appropriate National Minimum Wage rate. Deductions from workers’ wages that take the wage below the National Minimum Wage rate are only permitted in exceptional circumstances set out in Government guidance entitled ‘Calculating the National Minimum Wage’.

Natural Gas: National Grid

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of homes are not currently attached to the gas grid by region.

Claire Perry: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Small Businesses: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of small businesses in (a) Warrington and (b) the north-west owed money by Carillion; and what the average amount owed is.

Andrew Griffiths: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have established a Taskforce to support businesses affected by the Carillion. The taskforce includes representatives from leading business bodies, the construction sector, unions, banks and government to advise how to mitigate impacts on the supply chain and employees. The Taskforce has made good progress in exchange of information, collaborations, and to identify key actions that need to be taken. The Official Receiver was appointed liquidator of Carillion Plc and a number of companies in the Carillion group. In this role as liquidator he is independent of government. As part of his duties, the Official Receiver will establish the creditor claims in the liquidation.

Companies: Pay

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the regulations to implement the Government's policy of requiring listed companies to publish pay ratios; and whether those regulations are planned to be in force by June 2018.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government is committed to introducing a new statutory reporting requirement to require quoted companies to disclose and explain the ratio of the Chief Executive Officer’s total annual remuneration to the average annual remuneration of the company’s UK employees. The regulations to implement this provision (along with the other new reporting provisions being introduced as part of the corporate governance reforms announced in August 2017) are being drafted and will be laid in draft in Parliament later this year subject to other Parliamentary business.

Carillion

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his oral contribution of 30 January 2018, on Carillion, when he plans to apply the lessons on the need for project bank accounts.

Andrew Griffiths: My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have set up a Taskforce with industry and unions to advise and help Government to mitigate the impacts of Carillion’s insolvency. Our priority, at this stage, is focusing on the supply chain and their employees. Wider lessons from this insolvency will be learned in due course taking account of the findings of enquiries by the Insolvency Service, Financial Reporting Council, Financial Conduct Authority and several Select Committees. The Government Construction Strategy committed government departments to use Project Bank Accounts for their projects unless there are compelling reasons not to do so. Since 2011, there has been over £10 billion in cumulative committed spend through PBAs. We are committed to improving payment practices. Our consultation on the contractual practice of cash retention, alongside, a parallel consultation on the effectiveness of the 2011 changes to the “Construction Act” closed on 19 January 2018. We are now considering the responses to the consultation including those referring to the use of Project Bank Accounts.

Bank Services: Small Businesses

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his oral contribution of 30 January 2018, on Carillion, what steps he plans to take to ensure the banks meet the commitments they made on financial support for small business suppliers to Carillion.

Andrew Griffiths: UK Finance have made it clear that the High Street Lenders are contacting customers and are prepared to have emergency measures, including overdraft extensions, payment holidays and fee waivers in place as long as needed to support the small business suppliers to Carillion.Details about the financial support committed by high street lenders can be found at: https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/banks-offer-support-to-business-customers-impacted-by-carillion/BEIS officials and I are in regular contact with UK Finance.

Managers: Pay

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 30 January 2018, on executive pay, whether he has plans to restrict the level of executive pay in FTSE 100 companies through government procurement rules.

Andrew Griffiths: What quoted companies pay their directors is ultimately a matter for their shareholders, who have a binding vote on the remuneration policy determining executive pay. However, the Government intends to introduce new measures to increase accountability and transparency in executive pay, as part of the corporate governance reforms announced in August 2017.These include a new statutory requirement on quoted companies to disclose and explain each year the ratio of their Chief Executive Officer’s total annual remuneration to the average annual remuneration of the company’s UK employees. Companies will also be required to track and explain changes to the ratio over time, and explain how the ratio relates to pay, reward and progression policies for the company’s employees as a whole.The Government is additionally introducing a new statutory requirement for quoted companies to set out clearly and publicly the impact of share price changes on complex, long-term incentive schemes.

Insolvency

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing reforms to the UK's corporate insolvency framework to remove potential barriers to the resolution of cross-border insolvencies after the UK leaves the EU.

Andrew Griffiths: The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19 currently before Parliament will give Government the powers it needs to correct inoperabilities in the law following withdrawal, and preparations for a range of outcomes are under way. The exact future relationship between the EU and UK on civil judicial cooperation, including the recognition of insolvency and restructuring procedures and judgments, is subject to negotiations with our EU partners. The Government has made clear that an effective framework of civil judicial cooperation is an important part of the deep and special partnership we want to establish with the EU. It is in the interests of the UK and the EU that there continues to be an effective framework for resolving cross-border legal disputes after we leave.

What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which private companies form part of the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth.

Andrew Griffiths: The What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth was set up in October 2013 as part of the What Works network to analyse which policies are most effective in supporting and increasing local economic growth. It is jointly run by the London School of Economics, Centre for Cities, and Arup and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Transport.

Carillion

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of 30 January 2018 of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of Andrew Griffiths, on Carillion, what timetable is for the Carillion taskforce to publish its findings.

Andrew Griffiths: The Taskforce has a key role in informing and shaping the Government’s response to the company’s liquidation but it is not a review group and will not publish findings. The Taskforce is working to mitigate impacts on the small business supply chain, to support employees and apprenticeships find new employment and for the Taskforce members to help disseminate useful information to their respective shareholders. This has already led to useful collaborations, in particular in relation to work to ensure a swift transaction of construction contracts from Carillion to new contractors to minimise disruptions.

Community Assets: Government Assistance

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the number of community-owned (a) shops and (b) pubs that operate in the UK; whether his Department offers support to such enterprises; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Griffiths: Ministers regularly engage with stakeholders from both retail and hospitality to understand their priorities and work with colleagues across Government to optimise trading conditions. The Government has introduced the Great British High Street Competition, now in its third year, which celebrates the achievements of local areas in creating vibrant and dynamic high streets and is open to applications from any community large or small. The £3.62m More than a Pub: The Community Business Support Programme, launched in March 2016 and co-funded by the Government and Power to Change, is helping to support communities across England to own their local pub. We do not hold data on the number of community-owned shops or pubs that operate in the UK.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bahrain: Religious Freedom

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of religious freedom in Bahrain; and what steps the Government is taking to promote and protect the right of freedom of religion in that country.

Alistair Burt: Bahrain is a multi-religious country with all religions co-existing. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Bahraini constitution. Members of all religions and communities continue to play an important part in Bahraini society with representation in the Shura Council and elected chamber of Parliament, Diplomatic service, as senior Government Ministers and officials, and other leading areas of societyThe United Kingdom continues to encourage Bahrain's successful efforts on religious freedoms.

Burma: Rohingya

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that there is an independent international investigation of the allegations against the Burmese military for their actions against the Rohingya community in Burma.

Mark Field: The immediate task is to support those building evidence and testimony. The Government is considering how to support effective co-ordination, through an international or local mechanism, of those organisations already collecting testimony in Bangladesh. The UK will provide capacity building to Bangladeshi stakeholders on gathering and preserving evidence of sexual violence, in line with the International Protocol on Investigation and Documentation of Sexual Violence in Conflict.The UK co-sponsored the resolution at the Human Rights Council in March 2017 that set up a Fact Finding Mission to look into the human rights situation in Burma, including Rakhine. It will issue its initial report in mid-March, and final report in September 2018. Any judgement on whether crimes under international law have occurred is a matter for judicial decision, rather than governments or non-judicial bodies, but the UK government will work closely with the international community, to ensure any wrongdoers are brought to account.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to progress the peace talks between parties to conflict in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The UK is playing a leading role in diplomatic efforts, including bringing together key international actors to try to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Yemen. As part of this we proposed the Presidential Statement passed at the UN Security Council in June this year, which called for an end to the fighting and a return to UN-led peace talks. We are now working urgently with our international and regional partners to ensure that the Security Council's words are converted into action. We call on all parties to respect these unified and clear demands from the international community. More recently, the Foreign Secretary hosted a meeting of his US, Saudi and Emirati counterparts in our Embassy in Paris on 23 January. They discussed ways of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, countering weapons smuggling and refocusing the political track to move towards a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department has received from the Saudi-led Coalition on the location and inspection system of the 17 safe-passage corridors from 6 points of entry announced on 22 January 2018.

Alistair Burt: We continue to engage with the Saudi-led Coalition on its Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations Plan (YCHOP). Improving humanitarian access to all of Yemen is key to alleviating the crisis. Continued access for commercial supplies, including food and fuel through the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef, is critical to ensuring that the Yemeni people get the supplies they so desperately need. The Coalition has publicly stated that corridor originating points will include Al Khadara, Al Tuwal, Hodeidah, Mokha, Aden and Marib.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart on Turkish operations in Afrin district, Syria.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK and Russia, as fellow permanent members of the UN Security Council, have discussed the operation in that forum. In those discussions we reiterated the need to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians, while recognising Turkey’s legitimate interest in the security of its borders. We also stressed the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance can reach the area. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent conflict in Afrin, Syria.

Sir Alan Duncan: We are closely following developments in Afrin in north-western Syria. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers are in regular contact with their Turkish counterparts. The Prime Minister also spoke to President Erdogan on 26 January. In all our diplomatic engagement we have urged Turkey to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians, while recognising its legitimate interest in the security of its borders. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war in Syria, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions has he had with his counterpart at NATO on Turkish operations in Afrin.

Sir Alan Duncan: The NATO Secretary General has been in contact with a range of Allies, including President Erdogan, about the situation in Northern Syria. Turkey has briefed NATO Allies on their operation. We have made clear that we are committed to working with all Allies and partners on solutions that provide stability, refrain from escalating the situation, and protect Turkey’s legitimate security interests.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his United States counterpart on the Turkish operation in Afrin.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, including on the subject of Syria. We have been clear that we recognise Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders. We have urged them to avoid any escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians. It remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department holds any information on (a) civilian casualties and (b) human rights abuses caused by the recent Turkish operation in Afrin.

Sir Alan Duncan: We are closely following reporting on civilian casualties and alleged human rights abuses in the Turkish operation in Afrin, but have not been able to verify any of the figures quoted. In all our contact with Turkey we have urged them to avoid civilian casualties, maintain human rights and to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach the area. The Prime Minister raised this issue with President Erdoǧan when they spoke on 26 January.

North Korea: Overseas Aid

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the 2014 Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, if he will publish his Department’s total expenditure on teacher training programmes in North Korea; what estimate his Department has made of the amount spent on improving nutrition in children’s homes and childcare centres in North Korea; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such programmes.

Mark Field: The Department for International Development (DFID) publishes the British Government's full Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) spend, broken down by country, each calendar year.The British Council English Language Training Programme sought to expose North Korean teachers and students to an alternative view of the outside world, in line with the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry call to challenge the state's monopoly on information. It has provided training to hundreds of teachers and tuition to 4,500 students. The FCO has contributed around £220,000 in funding each year for the past four financial years. In May 2016, a British Council review found the programme was successfully achieving its aims of critical engagement and building cultural relations as well as improving English language levels. The programme was suspended in August 2017 when the FCO changed its Travel Advice for North Korea to advise against all but essential travel.Our bilateral projects in North Korea focused on helping some of the most vulnerable members of society with a particular focus on children and disabled persons. This financial year the FCO funded a small-scale bilateral aid project that included a focus on improving children's nutrition in nurseries and childcare centres outside Pyongyang. This bilateral project totalled £20,000 and along with our two other small projects this financial year, closed down at the end of 2017. We will receive evaluation reports from our implementing partners in due course.

Hong Kong: Elections

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Hong Kong and China on the disqualification of Agnes Chow from elections in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: ​As my department's statement has made clear, the right to stand for election is a fundamental right enshrined in Article 26 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights. I am concerned by the rejection of Agnes Chow's nomination for the forthcoming Legislative Council by-election, and believe that Hong Kong's rights and freedoms as set out in the Joint Declaration, and enshrined in the Basic Law, should be fully respected.

Northern Ireland Office

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the head of the Northern Ireland civil service about the budget for the next financial year; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Shailesh Vara: In the absence of an Executive it has fallen to the Northern Ireland Civil Service to protect and preserve public services in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State would like to put on record again her gratitude to David Sterling, as Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and all of his colleagues, for the professionalism they have shown in taking on that responsibility. We want to see a restored Executive taking forward the 2018-19 Budget, with the difficult decisions it requires made by locally elected politicians in the interests of the whole community. That will remain our overriding priority. In the meantime, the Secretary of State liaises regularly with David Sterling on a range of issues concerning the maintenance of public services, including the Budget situation, and that engagement will continue in the important weeks ahead.

Department of Health and Social Care

Ambulance Services: Standards

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of ambulance waiting times in each month in 2017 in (a) Lewisham, Deptford Constituency, (b) London and (c) England.

Stephen Barclay: The information is not held in the format requested. Following a rigorous and independent evaluation of the clinically-led Ambulance Response Programme, in July 2017 the Department agreed NHS England’s recommendations to implement an improved ambulance performance framework. These changes improve responses to patients and the efficiency and resiliency of the ambulance service in the face of rising demand. All mainland National Health Service ambulance trusts are now operating against this new framework and the ambulance service on the Isle of Wight will do so from April 2018. We recognise that not all trusts are meeting the required standards, however NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with the service to assist them to effectively perform against these new requirements, and NHS England will undertake a review of the framework in spring 2018. Regional ambulance response time performance is available and is published monthly by NHS England. This can be found online at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ Response time performance by city or county area is not centrally collected.

Mental Health Services: Gender Recognition

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of mental health support for young people who identify as transgender.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mental health care provision for transgender teenagers.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The National Health Service is providing new services to support transgender children and young people. The Gender Identity Development Service is a national specialist service directly commissioned by NHS England, based in London and Leeds. It is for children and young people up to 18 years of age, and their families, who experience difficulties in the development of their gender identity. The service is holistic and tailored to the needs of the individual and the family. Young people are seen individually and with their families for assessment and psychosocial intervention by members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team which includes psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy and social work. The Government is aware that transgender people have a higher reported incidence of mental ill health, attempted suicide and self-harm. The Government published ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a green paper’ on 4 December 2017. This green paper sets out an ambitious set of proposals to transform support for all children and young people’s mental health, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Chief Dental Officer

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times he has met the Chief Dental Officer since her appointment on 27 April 2015; and what the dates of those meetings were.

Steve Brine: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not met the Chief Dental Officer for England since her appointment in April 2015. The Chief Dental Officer provides advice to NHS England, Health Education England and the Department. Where advice directly to Ministers is required from any of the professional Chief Officers it is usual for this to be requested by the Minister with portfolio responsibility for that policy area and this is the case for dentistry. The Chief Dental Officer has met Ministers with portfolio responsibility for dentistry on a number of occasions.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome aged (a) under 18, (b) between 18 and 25, (c) between 46 and 64 and (d) 65 and over in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: We have assumed that the hon. Member is referring to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Data outlining how many people have been diagnosed with this condition is not available.

Mental Health Services: Restraint Techniques

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many instances of physical restraint were recorded on the Mental Health Services Data Set in each of the last years; and how many of those instances were recorded as an inappropriate use of physical restraint.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The total number of physical restrictive interventions collected in the Mental Health Services Data Set in 2016/17 is 53,188. This figure is taken from the first publication of annual figures on the use of restrictive interventions in inpatient mental health, learning disabilities and autism services. This is the first publication of this data and there are potential issues about which NHS Digital is making further assessment of the quality and completeness of these experimental statistics following this publication. Data on the inappropriate use of restraint is not collected.

Mental Health Services: Restraint Techniques

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will require all healthcare trusts to publish their restraint policies.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Current Departmental guidance (‘Positive and Proactive Care: reducing the need for restrictive interventions’, April 2014) states that organisations that provide care and support to people who are at risk of being exposed to restrictive interventions must have clear organisational policies which reflect professional or clinical guidance, current legislation, case law and evidence of best practice. Providers must ensure that these policies are available and accessible to users of services and carers.

Mental Health Services: Restraint Techniques

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will require healthcare trusts to record data on use of physical restraint on children.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Incidents of restraint of children and young people in contact with Mental Health, Learning Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder Services are already recorded by trusts in the Mental Health Services Dataset. This records the date of the intervention, and the type.

Mental Health Services

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to facilitate collaboration between NHS and local authority mental health service providers.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In 2016, National Health Service organisations came together to form 44 sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) covering the whole of England, and set out their proposals to improve health and care for patients. In some areas, an STP will evolve to form an accountable care system (ACS), a new type of even closer collaboration. In an ACS, NHS organisations, in partnership with local councils and others, take collective responsibility for managing resources, delivering NHS standards, and improving the health of the population they serve. Local services can provide better and more joined-up care for people when different organisations work together in this way. This is particularly important for mental health service users who often have a range of mental, physical and social needs.

Social Services: Yorkshire and the Humber

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of availability of social care beds in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Caroline Dinenage: Commissioning social care is a matter for local authorities who are best placed to understand the needs of local people and communities, and how best to meet them. This includes understanding local needs for residential and nursing care home beds. For this reason, the Care Act 2014 placed duties on local authorities to shape their local markets so that there is an adequate supply of provision which ensures all adult social care service users have a choice of high quality services. The Government has given councils access to additional funding to enable them to support more people and sustain a diverse adult social care market. Councils in England will receive an additional £2 billion for social care over the three years from 2017/18, with £1 billion available in 2017/18. Overall the Government has given councils access of up to £9.25 billion more dedicated funding between 2017/18 and 2019/20.

Care Homes: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) residential care and (b) nursing homes in (i) the North-West and (ii) Warrington have been judged to be inadequate or requiring improvement in each of the last three years.

Caroline Dinenage: The Care Quality Commission has provided the following response: The attached table shows the number of care homes in North West Region and Warrington local authority, with published overall ratings from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017 Nursing homes and residential homes activate and deactivate over the year, meaning a proportion over the three years would not be accurate.



PQ125612 attached table
(Word Document, 14.88 KB)

Carillion

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will estimate the value of the Carillion contract at the Royal Liverpool hospital; set out how progress on the contract was monitored; state whether the contract was on budget before Carillion was liquidated; and estimate the overall cost of completing the project.

Stephen Barclay: Carillion is part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) consortium currently contracted by Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust to undertake construction of the new Royal Liverpool hospital as part of the £429 million project for the overall redevelopment of the trust’s sites. Individual NHS trusts, as the direct counterparties to PFI contracts, are responsible and accountable for the monitoring of the contract. Under a PFI contract, the PFI consortium raises the finance and manages the budget and cashflow for the construction works; the NHS trust does not start paying the full costs of the project until it is completed.  The PFI contract between the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and the PFI Project Company is still in place, which means that the Company is still contractually obliged to manage the project and find a construction firm or subcontractor who can continue the building work. This is important for the trust and also an incentive for the PFI Project Company to minimise delay. The Royal Liverpool Hospital scheme is very well advanced. The PFI Project Company is currently in discussions with PwC (on behalf of the official receiver), their lenders and with other service and construction companies to assess how best to continue delivering these contracts.

Drugs: Regulation

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of his Department plans to respond to the remarks of the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland of 21 November 2017 made at the debate on medicines regulation, Official Report. columns 322 to 353.

Steve Brine: I responded to the hon. Member on 30 November 2017 and a copy of the letter is attached.



PQ125644 attached document
(PDF Document, 178.19 KB)

Dental Services: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of children are registered with a dentist in the South Lakeland District Council area.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of adults are registered with a dentist in the South Lakeland District Council area.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) adults and (b) children are on the waiting list for an NHS dentist in the South Lakeland District Council area.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is (a) the longest and (b) the average waiting time for people on the waiting list for an NHS dentist in South Lakeland District Council area, broken down by (i) adults and (ii) children.

Steve Brine: Patients do not have to register to receive National Health Service dental treatment and therefore no data is available on the number or proportion of patients registered with a dentist in the South Lakeland District Council Area for children or adults. Information is collected on the number and proportion of children and adults who are seen by a dentist in the most recent 12 and 24 months periods respectively. This information is not available for South Lakeland District Council area specifically but is available for Cumbria local authority and North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The latest data is available in the following publication: http://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB30159 In the document titled “NHS Dental Statistics for England – 2017/18, First Quarterly Report: Annex 2 (Sub-national patients seen). The data required can be found on tabs A1 (patients seen) and A4 (percentage of the population) (CCG level) and A3 (patients seen) and A6 (percentage of the population) (local authority level). Information on patients who may be on local waiting lists is not held centrally. Primary care dentistry is commissioned by NHS England which has a legal duty to commission services to meet local need.

Gynaecology and Obstetrics: Training

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many student entrants there were to gynaecology and obstetrics in NHS England in each of the last seven years.

Stephen Barclay: The number of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees who have entered specialty training year one in the last five years is set out in the table below: August 2013204August 2014207August 2015205August 2016228August 2017224Source: Health Education England The Department does not hold national data dating further back than this. Education and training in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved administration of that country.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2017 to Question 123399, how much funding has been allocated to mental health services in each of the last seven years in real terms.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The increase in funding for mental health services made by clinical commissioning groups and NHS England specialised commissioning spending between 2013/14 and 2016/17 amounts to £1.6 billion in real terms. Comparable information for 2012-13 and earlier is not available.

Mentally Disordered Offenders

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2017 to Question 122675, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) women and (b) men detained under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 who were the primary carers of children.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS) has introduced demographic information on age, gender and ethnicity that were previously uncollected. This information is contained in the annual report Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures: 2016-17, Experimental statistics, available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB30105 Information on whether patients are parents or carers is not collected in the MHSDS however, and it is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of people with such responsibilities.

Food: Advertising

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of banning the advertising of foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt in all broadcast media before 9.00pm.

Steve Brine: I refer hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for the Vale of Clwyd on 12 December 2017 to Question 117281.

General Practitioners: Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory child health training for all GP trainees.

Steve Brine: The training curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC). The curriculum set by the RCGP educates GP trainees in identifying and managing those conditions most common to primary care. Meeting the needs of children and young people is currently reflected in a specific section of the GP curriculum.The current review of postgraduate curricula by the GMC provides an opportunity to ensure curricula reflect general professional capabilities and to ensure all training requirements are met.

Department for International Development

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, What financial support her Department has provided to Zimbabwe in each of the last ten years; and how much financial support her Department plans to provide to that country in each of the next three years.

Alistair Burt: DFID Zimbabwe Programme Spend for the past 10 yearsNoFinancial yearActual spendCumulative Spend12007/2008£ 41,978,617.66£ 41,978,617.6622008/2009£ 50,035,627.30£ 92,014,244.9532009/2010£ 60,709,203.18£ 152,723,448.1342010/2011£ 68,711,191.63£ 221,434,639.7652011/2012£ 88,008,792.07£ 309,443,431.8362012/2013£ 82,130,598.47£ 391,574,030.3072013/2014£ 105,994,824.16£ 497,568,854.4682014/2015£ 68,620,415.12£ 566,189,269.5892015/2016£ 85,786,771.83£ 651,976,041.42102016/2017£ 104,885,392.21£ 756,861,433.63 DFID plans to spend £90,000,000 during financial year 2017/2018 and £86,000 000 in Zimbabwe during financial year 2018/2019 - DFID funding may fluctuate to respond to needs and priorities.

Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund

Paul Scully: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the outcomes achieved by the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund with Government funding.

Alistair Burt: The UK is proud to be a founding supporter of the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund since 2012 and has pledged up to £9million to support the grassroots response for inadequately served groups affected by HIV.DFID assesses the outcomes achieved by the Robert Carr Civil Society Networks Fund annually, as we do for all our programmes, and the reviews are available on the DFID Development Tracker at https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/.

International Citizen Service

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, for what reasons her Department will no longer run the International Citizen Service programme from April 2018.

Alistair Burt: The UK government remains completely committed to ICS. We are currently designing a new phase of ICS, a process which will involve a range of stakeholders, including young people, to ensure we are providing the best offer for young volunteers and to deliver value for the British taxpayer.

Department for Education

Children's Centres: Inspections

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children's centres have not received an Ofsted inspection in the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department does not hold a list of children’s centres that have not received an Ofsted inspection in the last five-years. However, this information can be derived from publicly available data. Records of Ofsted inspections of children’s centres and children’s centre groups carried out between 2010 and 2015, including a list of names and addresses and the date of the last inspection are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/childrens-centres-statistics. Real-time data on the current list of children’s centres and children’s centre groups including names and addresses is supplied by local authorities via the Get Information about Schools database portal available at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

Department for Education: Presidents Club

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any Ministers in his Department attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner run by the Meller Educatonal Trust in an official capacity.

Anne Milton: No Department for Education ministers attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner in an official capacity. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister Zahawi, attended the event in a private capacity.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve pupil attainment in deprived areas of Greater London.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government has spent over £11 billion since 2011, including almost £2.5 billion in 2017-2018, through the Pupil Premium to tackle educational inequality.Nationally the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed at both age 11 and age 16 since 2011, resulting in better prospects for disadvantaged pupils and a more prosperous adult lives.In London pupils from deprived backgrounds generally perform well; the gap with average non-disadvantaged pupils in England is small. In the 2017 pupil assessments all but one of the top 30 performing local authority areas at both age 11 and 16 were London authorities.Through the Education Endowment Foundation the department seeks to ensure schools are confident in using evidence, thinking strategically and regularly reviewing the impact of their work with disadvantaged pupils.

Education: Gender

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to close the attainment gap between boys and girls.

Nadhim Zahawi: This government is determined that all children and young people, regardless of their gender or background, have the opportunity to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them. Rather than implementing policies that focus specifically on the educational performance of boys, the government has introduced far-reaching education reforms that set the highest expectations for what all pupils will achieve. The department has put in place a stretching national curriculum and world-class qualifications, so that more pupils study to age 16 those academic subjects that most enable progress to higher education. The latest statistics show that between 2016 and 2017, the proportion of boys achieving the expected standard in GCSE English and maths rose by 1.2 percentage points (to 60.3%), compared to a 0.5 percentage point increase amongst girls (to 67.6%). These statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017.

Teachers: Males

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more men to enter the teaching profession.

Nick Gibb: The Government values diversity in the workforce and wants the best people in the classroom, regardless of their gender; evidence shows that the quality of teaching is the single most important factor in determining how well pupils achieve. The Government does not feel that top-down targets for the recruitment of men into initial teacher training would be appropriate. The Department is pleased that the quality of entrants to initial teacher training, as measured by degree class, remains high, with 19 per cent of postgraduate entrants, a new record, holding a first-class degree.

Adult Education: Finance

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to devolve the adult education budget to local authorities which are not part of a mayoral combined authority.

Anne Milton: The department will devolve the adult education budget to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and the Greater London Authority for 2019/20, subject to certain readiness conditions. We have no plans to devolve the adult education budget to local authorities which are not part of MCAs; however, we are working collaboratively with local areas to ensure people can gain the skills that meet both local and national needs.

Adult Education: Finance

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget was for non-apprenticeship adult education in each year since 2010; and what the budget is for adult education to 2020.

Anne Milton: The budget for non-apprenticeship adult education from 2010 is as follows:Adult Skills Budget (ASB):2010-11 - £2,475,0612011-12 - £2,190,5422012-13 - £1,996,4522013-14 - £1,704,2752014-15 - £1,488,0082015-16 - £1,238,528Adult Education Budget (AEB) (which replaced the ASB):2016-17 - £1,494,0002017-18 - £1,503,000 These figures show funding for participation only and exclude financial support. The AEB was created in 2016-17 and brings together the previous ASB, Community Learning and Discretionary Learner Support (both separate to the ASB pre-2016) into a single budget line. The available budget for the further education and skills sector in 2018-19 will be confirmed prior to the start of the 2018-19 financial year. The current Skills Funding Letter for the 2017-18 financial year can be found via: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-funding-letter-april-2017-to-march-2018.

Department for Education: Public Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department spent on (a) art, (b) wine and (c) hospitality in each of the last seven financial years for which figures are available.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department has spent the following on hospitality in the last seven financial years:Financial yearAmount (£)  2016-171,952.512015-168,151.452014-153,237.682013-14625.732012-13928.862011-1268.632010-113,903.53 The department does not hold specific data for how much has been spent on art and wine in the last seven financial years, only information on items that have been ordered from the government wine cellar (one occasion in 2014-15 totalling £113.05).

Department for Education: Directors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, who the lead non-executive director and non-executive director board members are in his Department.

Anne Milton: The lead non-executive board member of the Department for Education is Richard Pennycook.Our non-executive board members are Ian Ferguson CBE and Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE.

Education: Digital Technology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to harness digital technology to deliver educational services.

Nick Gibb: The Government is working with the education sector as well as researchers and the education technology industry to target the key challenges and highlight the opportunities that technology presents to empower teachers, leaders and providers to make better-informed decisions about the use of technology across education. Tackling specific challenges, we recently announced a £7.7 million curriculum fund to encourage the development of high quality and knowledge-rich teaching resources. These resources, which could include digital as well as traditional materials, will help teachers deliver the government’s new curriculum while reducing workload and giving them more time to focus on teaching. We are also investing £84 million of new funding over the next five years to deliver a comprehensive programme to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science, particularly amongst girls. At the last budget, we announced a £30 million National Retraining Scheme fund to deliver digital skills training using edtech and artificial intelligence so that students and trainees can benefit from this emerging technology, wherever they are in the country.

Sixth Form Colleges: Finance

Leo Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to review the funding of sixth form colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: There are no plans to formally review funding for Sixth Form Colleges but the government does recognise there are funding pressures within the 16 to 19 year olds education system. The government will continue to keep the question of 16 to 19 year olds funding under consideration as it does with all areas of expenditure. We will conduct a major review of funding across tertiary education. In the Industrial Strategy, it was stated that this review will consider a range of specific issues within post-18 education. The government will set out further details of the review shortly.

Schools: Staff

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to fund pay increases above the one per cent pay cap for (a) teachers and (b) school support staff in 2018-19.

Nick Gibb: The Department will shortly publish evidence on the affordability of increases to teachers’ pay as part of the Department’s input to the School Teachers’ Review Body consideration of teachers’ pay for 2018/19. Support staff pay is negotiated by local authorities and academies. In July 2017, the Department announced an additional £1.3 billion for schools and high needs across 2018-19 and 2019-20, in addition to the schools budget set at Spending Review 2015. This means funding per pupil for schools and high needs will be maintained in real terms for the next two years. Alongside our substantial investment, the Department is committed to helping schools improve outcomes for pupils and promote social mobility by getting the best value from all of their resources

Adult Education: Inspections

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, State how many subcontractors of adult education provision have been inspected and graded by Ofsted in each region in 2017.

Anne Milton: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much per pupil funding was allocated to schools from the public purse in (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and (b) London in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Funding from the Department is primarily allocated at a local authority level. The average schools block unit of funding for Lewisham local authority, London, and all other local authorities for the last five years can be found at the links below: 2013-14: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-2013-to-2014.2014-15: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-2014-to-2015.2015-16: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2015-to-2016.2016-17: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2016-to-2017.2017-18: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2017-to-2018. Since 2011-12 schools have received the Pupil Premium which targets funding at pupils from the most deprived backgrounds to help them achieve their full potential. In 2011-12, the Premium was allocated for each pupil known to be eligible for Free School Meals, looked after children and children of parents in the armed services. In 2012-13 coverage was expanded to include pupils known to have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in the last six years. The per pupil amounts for each type of pupil for the last five years are shown in following table in cash terms:Pupil Premium per pupil (£)2013-20142014-20152015-20162016-20172017-2018Free School Meal Pupil Primary£953£1323£1320£1320£1320Free School Meal Pupil Secondary£900£935£935£935£935Service Children£300£300£300£300£300Looked After Children£900£1900*£1900*£1900*£1900**Also includes children adopted from care Details of provider level allocations for all schools and academies for the last five years can also be found at the links below. These cover the DSG schools block allocations made by local authorities.2013-14: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2013-to-2014.2014-15: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2014-to-2015.2015-16: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2015-to-2016.2016-17: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2016-to-2017.2017-18: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-block-funding-allocations-2017-to-2018.

Further Education: Finance

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the reasons are for a review of funding across tertiary education that focuses on post-18 education rather than post-16 education.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The internationally recognised understanding of the term tertiary education, in line with the International Standard Classification of Education, corresponds to English qualification levels 4 and above, which are typically taken by those aged 18 and over. The government will conduct a major review of funding across tertiary education to ensure a joined-up system that works for everyone. As outlined in the Industrial Strategy, the review will consider a range of specific issues within post-18 education. The government is already fundamentally reforming the post-16 education system to give all young people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and deliver a better future for our country. A key principle of the reform agenda is to improve the quality of technical education provision to deliver young people with the skills employers need both locally and nationally. New T-levels, with content designed by employers, will support them into skilled employment or progression to higher education. T-levels will be backed by over £500 million annually by the time the programme is rolled out fully, and we are implementing apprenticeship reforms to continue to improve the quality of apprenticeships for all. Our commitment to the 16 to 19 sector has contributed to the current record high proportion of 16 to 18 year olds who are participating in education or apprenticeships. The government will set out further details on the review shortly.

Free School Meals: Eligibility

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his Department's policy that a prematurely born child whose parents defer their child's school entry date should not be eligible for free school meals for all the years for which that child would otherwise have received free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government recognises the benefits of providing a healthy school meal to the most disadvantaged children and are committed to continuing to provide these meals to families in need. There exists a duty on maintained schools, academies and free schools to provide free school meals to pupils of all ages that meet the criteria. The criteria are not age related. All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England's state-funded schools, including academies and free schools, are entitled to free school meals.

Faith Schools

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has any plans to revise the inclusivity and community and engagement requirements for new faith schools.

Nadhim Zahawi: All schools must promote integration, and social cohesion whatever their character and ethos. The Department’s consultation document, ‘Schools that work for everyone’, set out proposals to replace the 50% cap on faith admissions in faith free schools with new safeguards to support inclusivity and integration. These are aimed at building on existing inclusivity requirements and those to promote fundamental British values to help ensure children and young people are prepared for life in modern Britain. The Department plans to respond to the proposals in ‘Schools that work for everyone’ in due course.

Teachers: Recruitment

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 124211, whether the recruitment targets set out in recent Annual Reports of the National College for Teaching and Leadership in respect to measuring quality and outcome of free childcare and entitlement to free early years education and childcare are the Government's targets; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: As confirmed in our responses to parliamentary questions 123211 and 123170, there are no targets for recruiting early years teachers. The early years initial teacher training programme has always been a demand-led programme. The figures in the National College for Teaching and Leadership annual reports were a total number of places available to training providers to bid for. These figures were based on available resource and estimated demand for places. The department has not set a recruitment target for early years initial teacher training programmes.

Special Educational Needs: Cerebral Palsy

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of children and young people with special educational needs who have cerebral palsy.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children and young people have cerebral palsy listed as a condition in their Education, Health and Care plan.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures his Department has in place to ensure that all children who (a) are entitled to an education, health and care assessment receive one and (b) receive an education, health and care plan receive the provision that plan stipulates from their local authority.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department does not collect data in this level of detail for the child or young person’s type of need. We collect annual data from schools and colleges on special educational needs (SEN) as part of the School Census. This data is published annually each January. Primary type of need is collected for those pupils with a statement of SEN or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. There are 12 categories of need, including physical disability. This is the highest level of detail that is collected. The latest figures are available in Table 8 of the National Tables on the department’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2017.Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities are required to conduct statutory EHC needs assessments to determine whether children and young people in their area have special educational needs which require additional support or provision. Where a local authority deems that a statutory EHC plan should be issued, it is responsible for securing the special educational provision specified in the plan.The department has provided local authorities with £252 million between 2014-15 and 2017-18 to support local authorities to embed the special education needs and disabilities reforms as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014. In addition, we are allocating £6 billion in high needs funding in 2018-19 which local authorities can use to secure special educational provision.

Pre-school Education: Hampstead and Kilburn

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he holds any information on the number of nursery places available in the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: This is a matter Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member for Hampstead and Kilburn and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Childcare and Early Years has had with parents of disabled children about improving access, affordability and quality of childcare for disabled children since he was appointed.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Childcare and Early Years has had with childcare settings of all types about improving access, affordability and quality of childcare since he was appointed.

Nadhim Zahawi: Improving access, affordability and quality of childcare for all children remains a high priority for this government. Since I have been in post, childcare has not been raised at any of the meetings I have had with the Parent Carer Forums. In regards to meeting with childcare settings, on 1 February 2018, I visited the Hindley Nursery School, a Maintained Nursery School in Wigan, and also attended a round table event regarding social care with social workers, providers and other specialists. I attended the All Party Parliamentary Group Meeting on Maintained Nursery Schools on 16 January 2018. Additionally, on 30 January 2018, I spoke to Elizabeth Bayram, the Chief Executive of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. On 6 February 2018, I am attending a Stakeholder Forum to meet provider organisations face to face

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  what estimate he has made of the proportion of workers in the childcare sector who are employed on zero-hour contracts.

Nadhim Zahawi: We collect data about the early years workforce through our Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers, England. Data on zero-hour contracts is not published in the SFR but is available from the raw data on the UK data archive at:https://discover.ukdataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/?sn=8166&type=data%20catalogue. The Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers, England, 2016 is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2016.

Children's Centres: Standards

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 124199 on children’s centre inspections, how his Department is monitoring the quality of children’s centres in the absence of regular inspections.

Nadhim Zahawi: As I said in my previous answer to question 124199, children’s centre inspections are suspended. As indicated in the letter of 25 September 2015 to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, the Secretary of State for Education retains the ability to require Ofsted to undertake inspections and Ofsted itself retains the ability to inspect children’s centres if concerns are raised. The letter can also be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centre-inspections-sam-gyimah-letter. Registered early years provision within children’s centres will continue to be inspected by Ofsted as part of the Common Inspection Framework. Local authorities who manage children’s centres are responsible for ensuring the services they provide through children’s centres meet appropriate quality standards.

Free School Meals: Eligibility

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will estimate how many children will become eligible for free school meals in each of the next 5 years under (a) proposal in the Eligibility for free school meals and the early years pupil premium under Universal Credit government consultation and (b) existing rules of eligibility.

Nadhim Zahawi: As explained in our consultation paper, we have recently brought forward proposals to update the temporary criteria for free school meals eligibility under Universal Credit. In setting these new criteria, we are ensuring that the new arrangements are fair, consistent and simple to deliver. The consultation paper is available to view here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/healthy-pupil-unit/fsm/. Free school meals are targeted at children who need them most. If all children in families receiving Universal Credit were to become eligible for a free school meal this would result in around half of school age pupils becoming eligible compared to a current rate of around 14%. Under our proposed new criteria, we estimate that by 2022 around 50,000 more children will benefit from a free school meal compared to the previous benefits system.

Free School Meals: Eligibility

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many families would be better off reducing their income to less than £7,400 a year to secure free school meals.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information requested is not held centrally. The government recently held a public consultation on setting a net earnings threshold under universal credit to determine a household’s eligibility for free school meals. Under our proposals, we estimate that by 2022 around 50,000 more children will benefit from a free school meal compared to the previous benefits system.

Adoption

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the time taken to place children in need of adoption with a family under adoption scorecards.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Adoption Scorecards show the three year average figures on adoption timeliness and are published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-scorecards.The latest figures show the average time between a child entering care and moving in with their adoptive family, for children who have been adopted between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2016.The department’s main source of information on adoption timeliness is the Children looked after in England including adoption statistical first release published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children and Table E2 of the national tables found in the link, shows annual figures on adoption timeliness.

What Works Network: Costs

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost has been to date of setting up the What Works Centre.

Nadhim Zahawi: The cost committed to date of setting up the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care is £9,804,191.00 million. In October 2017, two contracts were awarded by Department for Education to establish the What Works Centre. A consortium led by NESTA was awarded the contract for an ‘incubator’, to develop the infrastructure, recruit the leadership team and develop the communications and dissemination strategy. Cardiff University was awarded the ‘research partner’ role to start the evidence synthesis and begin new trials and evaluations where there are gaps in the current evidence base. Both contracts will run until March 2020.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what childcare support is available for children whose parent enters a women's refuge.

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a child who enters into a refuge with a parent remains eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare.

Nadhim Zahawi: Parents who enter into a refuge will continue to be eligible for 30 hours like any other working parents, provided they work and earn the weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours a week at their National Minimum Wage. [1]In addition, provision is made within the Statutory Guidance for parents who have been forced to leave their home and paid employment, for example, where the parent is a victim of domestic abuse or other serious crime, to retain their childcare place for longer than other parents. There is also a range of other childcare support available for parents who enter a women’s refuge. All three- and four-year-olds, and some disadvantaged two-year-olds, are eligible for 15 hours a week of free early education. And, working parents with children under 12 (or under 17 for disabled children) are eligible for Tax- Free Childcare (TFC). TFC allows a parent to open an online account to pay for registered childcare. The government will top-up the money a parent pays into the account; for every £8 paid in, the government will add an extra £2. A parent can receive up to £2,000 per child (and up to £4000 for a disabled child). In addition, Universal Credit provides support with up to 85% of childcare costs, with the maximum limits of £646 for one child and £1,108 for two or more children.   [1] Early education and childcare Statutory guidance for local authorities, page 11, para A1.18, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/596460/early_education_and_childcare_statutory_guidance_2017.pdf

Children: Disadvantaged

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2018 to Question 123221, when his Department plans to begin its review of children in need.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department has committed to undertake a review into children in need, to understand the needs of these vulnerable children.Already, we are building an evidence base, including to address a critical challenge around how far children in need are currently supported through targeted and effective practice to reduce risk within families and prevent harm from escalating. To this end, the department has invested £6 million from the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme specifically to test targeted support for children in need.Work has been underway within the department in order to scope the review, including through looking at the current evidence available and speaking to professionals in children’s social care and schools, and other experts.We intend to complete this scoping exercise before beginning the review.

Academies: Food

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will extend the mandatory food standards to all free schools and academies.

Nadhim Zahawi: We encourage all schools to promote healthy eating and provide healthy, tasty and nutritious food and drink. The School Food Standards apply to local authority maintained schools, academies that opened prior to September 2010 and academies and free schools entering into a funding agreement from June 2014, including all new academies. To date, over 1,400 academies founded between those dates are voluntarily following the standards and we encourage the remaining schools to commit to them.

National Collaborative Outreach Programme

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people have been contacted by the National Collaborative Outreach Programme in each region; and how many schools are working with the National Collaborative Outreach Programme.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) targets those areas of the country where progression into higher education (HE) is both low overall and lower than expected given typical GCSE attainment rates, in order to increase the proportion of disadvantaged young people in HE. The Higher Education and Funding Council for England (HEFCE), who operate the NCOP, are currently collating data on outreach from the 2017 end of year monitoring returns, with a view to publishing the outcomes in spring 2018. The Programme consists of 29 consortia undertaking outreach activity in geographical areas. The target wards and consortia that are working to close the HE participation gaps in these areas can be found via HEFCE’s website:http://www.hefce.ac.uk/sas/ncop/maps/.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Sentences: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many males who were resident in Wales at the time of their sentence are serving prison sentences in England.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in Wales were residents of England at the time of their sentencing.

Lucy Frazer: Of the prison population serving sentences in prisons in England on 31 December 2017 there were 1,438 males who had a recorded origin address in Wales. Of the prison population held in prisons in Wales on 31 December 2017 there were 1,256 who had a recorded origin address in England.

Prisons: Welsh Language

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the level of provision of Welsh language services in prisons in (a) Wales and (b) England.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the level of provision of Welsh language activities in prisons in (a) Wales and (b) England.

Lucy Frazer: Welsh language provisions, including access to translation services, are available in all prisons in England and Wales. We work with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Office to provide bilingual material in all areas of prison life where it is needed. In line with the Welsh Language Act 1993, we produced our third and final annual monitoring report on the NOMS Welsh Language Scheme 2013. The report covered performance and progress both locally and nationally for Probation and Prison services since 2013, and included consultation with prisoners and staff. This was sent to the Welsh Commissioner in December 2017 and is attached.

Young Offenders: Training

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 22 June 2015 to Question 2384, what proportion of young people in the custodial estate have had education, training and employment placements arranged as a result of (a) resettlement consortia and (b) the Turn Around to Work initiative since 2017.

Lucy Frazer: The Turn Around to Work initiative was trialled in 2014. Thirty young people were identified as suitable for work placements and five completed the programme. The low numbers reflected the complex needs of young people leaving custody and the high level of support that both employers and young people needed to make a success of placements. This model did not therefore meet the needs of young people leaving custody. This project has now been discontinued. An evaluation of the resettlement consortia has recently been published and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-justice-resettlement-consortia-a-process-evaluation

Sentencing: Armed Forces

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who were currently serving or had previously served in HM Armed Forces were sentenced to custodial sentences in (a) men's and (b) women's prisons in each year since 2010.

Lucy Frazer: We are unable to provide a breakdown as requested for those who have served in the armed forces. The Ministry began collecting data on service in the armed forces from 2015. All newly received offenders into custody (convicted or remanded) are now asked on reception if they have served in the armed forces. Latest figures published in October 2017 show approximately 3% of offenders who responded to the question were former members of the armed forces. This has been a similar level to the previous four quarters. Due to the very small number of female ex-armed service personnel in prisons this number is not split by gender. Prisoners who choose to identify as veterans are given access to available specialist support via the armed forces. This includes support for issues such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that may affect them following their service. Additional support can be offered by military service charities working with prisons and rehabilitation services.

Ministry of Justice: Voting Rights

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to mark the centenary of the first women getting the right to vote in 1918.

Lucy Frazer: The Government has set aside £5m to celebrate this milestone in British democracy. In the Autumn budget, the Chancellor announced that £1.2million of the centenary fund would go directly to seven centenary cities and towns in England with a strong suffrage history, to strengthen the reach and legacy of regional activity to inspire a new generation with this story. A further £1.5million will be available to organisations and communities through a grants scheme. Online applications opened in January, and further information can be found at: www.womensvotecentenaryfund.co.uk The Ministry of Justice is dedicated to achieving gender equality both in the workplace and in our justice system. The department’s Gender Equality Forum is organising a series of events to celebrate and commemorate the centenary of women’s suffrage as well as International Women’s Day on the 8th March.

Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the contracts to outsource facilities management in prisons, signed in 2014 what the agreed charge was for (a) replacing a broken window, (b) replacing a lock, (c) cleaning up a spillage, (d) fixing a toilet seat and (e) screening a shower.

Lucy Frazer: The facilities management contracts for prisons with Carillion and Amey were signed in 2015. Where repairs are required due to wear and tear costs up to £750 are absorbed by the supplier as part of its fixed fee. Any costs over £750, or any repairs required due to vandalism are payable by the Department. The contract doesn’t contain an agreed charge for these work types due to their heterogenous nature. Instead, in accordance with the NEC3 contract, the Department pays the defined cost of the repair, i.e. the actual cost of the repair. The Department closely reviews defined costs to ensure that they are at open Market value and offer the Department value for money.

Prisoners: Gender Recognition

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce instances of attempted suicide and (b) improve the mental health in respect of prisoners diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

Lucy Frazer: In 2016 we reviewed the care and management of transgender offenders and a new instruction and guidance for staff was published and became operational in January 2017. Transgender prisoners are viewed as an ‘at-risk’ group in terms of suicide and self-harm. Assessment Care in Custody Team (ACCT) procedures are used for any prisoner at risk of suicide or self-harm. In March 2017 we issued guidance to prison staff about the risks and triggers for self-harm in this group, along with more general advice, to enable them better to support transgender prisoners. Where a prisoner has a diagnosis of gender dysphoria a local transgender case board will be convened within three days of their reception to agree a tailored approach to their wider care and management, including their health and social care needs.

Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of apprentices who (a) were employed by Carillion in relation to the prison maintenance contract and (b) will be taken on as apprentices by Gov Facility Services Limited.

Lucy Frazer: Any apprentices employed by Carillion in relation to the prison maintenance contract will be taken on as apprentices by Gov Facility Services Limited

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Freehold

Lucy Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to strengthen the rights of freeholders against developers on newbuild estates; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: It is vital that as housing supply increases, the quality of new build homes continues to improve. In our Housing White paper, published last year, we set out our ambition for a housing market that works for everyone. We expect all housing developers to deliver good quality housing, to deliver it on time, and to treat house buyers fairly.The Government is clear that, where something goes wrong, house builders and warranty providers should fulfil their obligations to put this right. However, we know this is not always the case.Currently there are four different providers of redress for the housing market, but not all provide complete coverage of the issues for new homes buyers. Membership to schemes for some groups is compulsory but not all and leaves gaps within the redress landscape.The All Party Parliamentary Group report, 'More Homes, fewer complaints', published July 2016 made a number of recommendations on how we can strengthen consumer redress within the new homes market. We have been reviewing the recommendations within the report alongside listening to, and responding to, industry proposals for strengthening consumer redress.At the National House-Building Council (NHBC) Conference in November 2016, the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced that we will be formally exploring the options for creation of a new single housing ombudsman. A single, transparent and accountable body with a remit that covers the whole of the housing sector. We have already started conversations with our stakeholders and aim for a wide consultation shortly.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent on (a) art, (b) wine and (c) hospitality in each of the last seven financial years for which figures are available.

Jake Berry: a) Since 2010 the Department procured a printed portrait of Her Majesty the Queen for display in the reception of Eland House at a cost of £256.74 including VAT. This was funded from savings made by consolidating seven sets of papers and periodicals for Ministers and special advisers, delivering over £15,000 a year in on-going revenue savings. Previously the Department did not possess a portrait of Her Majesty, despite it being the legal title holder of the Government's civil estate on behalf of the crown. No artworks have been purchased by the Department in the timescale indicated.b) Records indicate the Department spent £708 with Majestic Wine in 2010-11. There is no record of any further spend on wine in the timescale indicated.c) I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 107801 on 24 October 2017. Spending for catering and hospitality is down to £9,822 in 2016-17 from £456,142 in 2009-10. This is a total reduction of £446,320 or 98 per cent over the years.

Shared Ownership Schemes

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 28 October 2015 to Question 13154, on shared ownership schemes, what steps his Department has taken to promote shared ownership in high value areas since 2015.

Dominic Raab: The Government is providing substantial support to build more affordable homes to meet the housing needs of a range of people, including those with aspirations of home ownership. We understand Shared Ownership has an important role to play to help those who aspire to home ownership but may be otherwise unable to afford it, especially in London and other high value areas. This is why we are investing over £9 billion in affordable housing through our 2016-21 Affordable Homes Programme, which includes a £3.15 billion package of funding for London to deliver at least 90,000 new affordable homes.Our programme is ramping up, we have delivered over 357,000 affordable homes since 2010, and the number of Shared Ownership homes delivered has more than doubled from 2015-16 to 2016-17.Since 2015, more than a quarter of the Shared Ownership homes delivered nationally have been delivered in London.

Housing: Broadband

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all new build properties can access superfast broadband immediately from completion of the property.

Dominic Raab: The Government is committed to delivering the world’s most dynamic digital economy, supported by measures such as fibre infrastructure investment to ensure consumers and businesses have access to the digital infrastructure that they need. This includes changing the Building Regulations in January 2017 to require all new build and major refurbishment residential buildings to make provision for copper or fibre infrastructure capable of delivering high-speed communications.We have consulted in the Housing White Paper, 'Fixing our broken housing market' on amending national planning policy to require local authorities to have policies in place which set out how high quality digital infrastructure will be delivered in their area and will be accessible from a range of providers. We will set out how these proposals are to be taken forward shortly.

Housing: Broadband

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on ensuring that new build properties have superfast broadband installed upon completion.

Dominic Raab: I refer the Hon Member for Ashfield to the my response today to Question UIN 124808.

Disabled Facilities Grants

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) central government and (b) total spend was on the disabled facilities grants scheme in each year from 2009-10 to 2016-17, and what spend in each case is expected to be in each year to 2022-23.

Dominic Raab: Central government funding and total funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant 2009-10 to 2016-7 are shown in Table 1. Current and future central government funding for 2017-18 to 2019-20 are in Table 2. Funding for the grant beyond 2020 is a matter for a future Spending Review. As the Rt Hon Member will notice, in no year since 2010 has central government funding been lower than the lever Labour left behind and last year it was considerably more than double that.  Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) Funding Table 1: Central Government and Total Funding for DFG 2009-10 to 2016-2017Year2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17TotalCentral Funding£157m£169m£200m£220m£200m£185m£220m£394m£1,745mTotal Funding£296m£306m£298m£280m£288m£269m£275m£394m£2,406m  Table 2: Current and future years central government funding for DFG 2017-18 to 2019-20Year2017-182018-192019-20 TotalCentral Funding£473m*£468m£505m£1,446m * includes additional £42m for DFG announced at Autumn Budget 2017

Community Infrastructure Levy

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that communities affected by multiple small developments will be able to charge the community infrastructure levy.

Dominic Raab: Local authorities are able to adopt the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). CIL is used to help fund the infrastructure needed to address the cumulative impact of development across the wider area, including the impact of multiple small developments.To date 150 authorities have adopted CIL, with many others in the process of doing so. CIL rates are subject to public consultation and independent examination before they can be charged.The Government announced an ambitious package of reforms to CIL at Autumn Budget which we will be consulting on in due course. Our proposals include measures to speed up the process of setting up and revising CIL, to make it easier to respond to changes to the market.

Energy Performance Certificates: Rural Areas

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a specific Energy Performance Certificate for rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for new buildings or when buildings are sold or rented, unless a valid exemption applies. We have no plans to make any changes for EPCs required for buildings in rural areas.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities allocate land in their local plans to meet their estimated need for new sites for Travellers.

Dominic Raab: As set out in the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites, the Government has asked local planning authorities, as part of their local plan, to identify and update annually a five year supply of specific, deliverable sites to meet local need for traveller sites. Local planning authorities should set pitch and plot targets to address the accommodation needs of travellers in their area.The National Planning Policy Framework clarifies that local plans will be examined by an independent inspector whose role is to assess whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with the Duty to Cooperate, legal and procedural requirements, and whether it is sound. A local planning authority should submit a plan for examination which is consistent with national policy, including the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites.

Affordable Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant the Answer of 25 January 2018 on Affordable Housing: Construction, what the timetable is for the publication of the national statistics.

Dominic Raab: The affordable housing supply statistics are provisionally scheduled to be published in November 2018. They will be made available on the Department's website https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/affordable-housing-supply.A specific publication date will be announced at least four weeks in advance.

Supported Housing: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2018 to Question 124587, whether there is projected to be an (a) increase or (b) decrease in funding for supported housing in each of the next five years as a result of government decisions made since the Autumn Statement 2015.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Funding for housing costs across the supported accommodation sector will, over the next five years, continue to be set on the basis of current projections of future need and will take account of the costs of provision.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Leo Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to provide a 24/7 mental health care helpline for veterans and serving soldiers in the Armed Forces; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to ensuring that both serving personnel and veterans are given the mental healthcare and treatment they need. As well as Defence Medical Services we also work in close partnership with a variety of different organisations, including the NHS (which is responsible for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans) and Service charities. For example, on the 9 October last year we announced a new partnership with the Royal Foundation, aimed at helping maintain and develop good mental fitness, thus changing the conversation around mental health into a positive and proactive one.During working hours, there are a range of options available to Service personnel requiring mental healthcare or advice. These include contacting either their Service GP, unit medical centre, Service mental health unit, welfare, or through pastoral support. Personnel who are receiving treatment at one of the MOD's mental health facilities are also given advice on obtaining out-of-hours help. This includes contacting the local medical centre, the local NHS accident and emergency department, or one of the existing 24-hour mental health helplines. The various helplines available include the free 24-hour mental health helpline run by the charity Combat Stress (supported by the MOD), and MOD's Veterans UK free helpline (which out-of-hours provides links to the Combat Stress helpline and the Samaritans), as well as the Big White Wall, a 24-hour online community which provides safe, anonymous support to anyone struggling with mental health issues. These are all available to Service personnel, veterans, their families and dependents.Military GP practices already provide out-of-hours medical support and are able to arrange emergency admissions if necessary. The individuals who staff the Combat Stress helpline are also trained to identify patients who are in a crisis state and who require immediate hospital admission, and will provide the necessary advice and assistance to enable them to be seen, assessed and managed in accordance with agreed protocols for people in crisis. Clinical advice is that the introduction of a separate MOD-staffed 24-hour helpline would only complicate an already volatile situation, adding additional risk which would not be in the best interests of the patient.We believe these arrangements are robust and effective in ensuring personnel get the appropriate help whenever they need it.

Type 31 Frigates

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 123285, on Type 31 Frigates, what the evidential basis was for the Government's assessment that there is a potential light frigate market of around 40 ships over the next 10 years.

Guto Bebb: Two complementary market analysis assessments have been produced by the Government to date. The first assessment was derived from three independent studies, conducted in parallel, by market analysts from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the UK Defence Solutions Centre and an independent consultancy firm. Supporting evidence from this first assessment was then further refined in an assessment carried out by the Department for International Trade and the MOD. Analysis is ongoing as the market continues to evolve.

Ministry of Defence: Carillion

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2018 to Question 123308 on Carillion, if he will publish the services delivered for each of the eleven contracts his Department had with Carillion, including those which were joint ventures with other suppliers.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence had eleven contracts with Carillion and eight of these contracts were Joint Ventures with either Aramark or Amey.Carillion Aramark has the HESTIA Soft Facilities Management Services contract in three regions and core services include Service Personnel Accommodation Services.Carillion Amey has the Next Generation Estate Contract (NGEC) Regional Prime in five regions and core services include Management and Estate Maintenance Services.The Ministry of Defence has three contracts with Carillion which provide construction services.

Ministry of Defence: Voting Rights

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to mark the centenary of women getting the right to vote in 1918.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence plans to participate in the nationwide Suffrage Flag Relay, organised by the Cross-Government Women's Network as part of the Civil Service celebrations for the suffrage centenary. A number of Defence sites will host the flag at various points in 2018. We will also promote the centenary of women's suffrage across our sites to raise awareness and encourage celebratory activities throughout the year.

Military Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2018 to Question 125089, what the ground-based air defence systems are which are operated by Army Air Defence Regiments; and what the out-service-dates are for each of those systems.

Guto Bebb: The Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) capability of the Army Air Defence Regiments is provided by Rapier and the Starstreak High Velocity Missile System. Under current plans their expected out of service dates are 2020 and 2026 respectively.The Future Force GBAD Air Surveillance programme seeks to provide our future suite of capabilities and will ensure there is no capability gap.

Armed Forces: Recycling

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the UK armed forces capabilities and platforms that are subject to the reduce to produce programme.

Guto Bebb: Tornado and Typhoon aircraft are subject to the reduce to produce programme which is a specific commercial partnership with BAE Systems.

European Fighter Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the (a) current unit value and (b) annual in-year operating cost of (i) Tranche 1 T3 two-seat variant Typhoon aircraft and (ii) Tranche 1 single-seat variant Typhoon aircraft.

Guto Bebb: I am withholding current unit values of our Tranche 1 Typhoon T3 aircraft, as disclosure would prejudice our commercial interests. Information on in-year operating costs is not held in the format requested.

European Fighter Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations the Government has (a) received from and (b) made to foreign Governments on the sale of RAF Tranche 1 T3 two-seat variant Typhoon aircraft and Tranche 1 single-seat variant Typhoon aircraft.

Guto Bebb: The Ministry of Defence was contacted by the Government of a European nation in 2017 with regards to the availability of RAF Tranche 1 twin-seat aircraft as part of a study they were undertaking into their future air defence requirements. No other discussions have taken place with foreign Governments with regards to the sale of the RAF's Typhoon Tranche 1 fleet. I am withholding information concerning the nation in question as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another State.

USA: Nuclear Weapons

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the US Defense Department's Nuclear Posture Review.

Guto Bebb: The Government has close and regular dialogue with the US Administration on all aspects of nuclear and arms control policy. In early 2017, President Trump announced that the US would conduct a Nuclear Posture Review. The US has sought views from the UK and other Allies as part of the process.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Mental Health

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 19 January 2018, HCWS414, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of additional PIP benefits payable following the High Court's December 2017 judgement on the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.

Sarah Newton: I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made by myself, Official Report, 30 January 2018, Column 703.

Personal Independence Payment: Mental Health

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 19 January 2018, HCWS414, on Welfare, when her Department plans to publish updated guidance for assessors to reflect that High Court ruling.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Statement of 19 January 2018, HCWS414, on Welfare, when her Department plans to publish updated guidance for claimants to reflect that High Court ruling.

Sarah Newton: I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made by my Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Official Report, 23 January 2018, Column 139.The Department will work with key stakeholders to implement the MH Upper Tribunal judgment.

Department for Work and Pensions: Public Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on (a) art, (b) wine and (c) hospitality in each of the last seven financial years for which figures are available.

Kit Malthouse: All DWP artwork is provided on loan from the Government Art Collection free of charge.The Department has no record relating specifically to the purchase of alcohol in each of the last seven years.Expenditure on hospitality in each of the last seven years is set out in the table below. It should be seen in the context of the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the Department, currently over 78,000. The Department’s guidance on hospitality is in accordance with financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.  2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17Hospitality£3,857£649£868£4,220£4,826£3,081£7,164

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Faisal Rashid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2018 to Question 123025, if she will revoke regulation 3 of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2017.

Guy Opperman: The policy on up-rating UK state pensions overseas is a long-standing policy of successive Governments. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide without regard to nationality to those people who meet the eligibility criteria and are up-rated for recipients resident abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so. The Government has no plans to change this policy.

GKN: Melrose

Lucy Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the risk to pensions posed by Melrose's proposed takeover of GKN.

Guy Opperman: This is a matter for the independent Pensions Regulator which was established by Parliament to provide regulatory oversight of work-based pension schemes, including defined benefit schemes.It has operational independence and therefore it would not be appropriate for Ministers to become involved in the Regulator’s casework.

Personal Independence Payment: Mental Health

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124308, on Personal Independence Payment: Mental Health, what estimate she has made of the administrative costs to her Department of reviewing the 1.6 million personal independence payment claims.

Sarah Newton: As outlined in the answer I gave on 29 January 2018 to Question 124308, the Department will be carrying out an administrative exercise to ensure that claimants receive the correct Personal Independence Payment award, following the decision not to appeal the High Court’s judgment handed down in the judicial review.The administrative cost will depend on a number of factors, including the number of cases identified.

Personal Independence Payment: Mental Health

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124308, on Personal Independence Payment: Mental Health, if her Department will compensate personal independence payment claimants who are entitled to a back payment and have fallen into debt and accrued interest.

Sarah Newton: I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made by myself, Official Report, 30 January 2018, Column 703.

Universal Credit: Complaints

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Department has spent on processing complaints relating to universal credit.

Alok Sharma: The total that DWP has spent on Universal Credit complaints is included in high level support costs, such as management and corporate overheads. These costs cannot be split out from overall Departmental spending on benefit payments and, therefore, an amount spent on complaints is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether assessments are being carried out at the constituency level on the roll-out of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: The Department carries out a range of activities to check that sites in all constituencies are well prepared and ready for the local rollout of Universal Credit.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the level of reported sanctions is higher in universal credit  areas than in areas which provide on existing benefits.

Alok Sharma: There are differences between sanctions policy in Universal Credit and other benefits. It is for this reason that the sanction rate in Universal Credit cannot be compared with the sanction rate in, for example, JSA.For instance, under JSA if a claimant fails to attend a Work Coach meeting, after 5 days without making contact they would have their claim closed.Under Universal Credit, if a claimant fails to attend a meeting with their Work Coach, their case is referred to a Decision Maker and they may be sanctioned if they are unable to provide good reason for not meeting the terms of their Claimant Commitment. However their claim remains open, as a claimant may have additional elements to their claim that they rely on, such as those for housing or children. If they are sanctioned, an amount equal to their standard allowance is reduced, but they continue to receive an award for any other elements they might be entitled to, subject to earnings and other deductions. Accordingly, the number of sanctions are higher in Universal Credit.The policy intent behind this difference is not to sanction more people but to ensure that all payment is not terminated, and that other elements continue to be paid while we investigate the reason for the loss of contact with the claimant.

Personal Independence Payment

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable is for the upcoming review of all personal independence payment claims.

Sarah Newton: I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made by myself, Official Report, 30 January 2018, Column 703.

Mortgages: Interest Payments

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultation his Department undertook on the changes to be made to  support for mortgage interest benefit.

Kit Malthouse: Introduction of SMI as a loan was initially trailed in an informal Call for Evidence between December 2011 and February 2012 which set out the Government’s ideas. 83 responses were received, 48 of these were from organisations including lenders and their representatives, welfare rights organisations, and local authorities. A majority of these including mortgage lenders’ representatives supported the proposal.This Department has worked closely with UK Finance (formerly the Council of Mortgage Lenders) throughout the development and delivery of this policy.

Mortgages: Interest Payments

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have applied to convert Support for Mortgage Interest payments into a loan.

Kit Malthouse: All existing support for mortgage interest claimants will be contacted and offered the new support for mortgage interest loan, there is no need for them to apply. A managed transfer process is underway, with all existing recipients of support for mortgage interest receiving information about the new scheme so that they can make decisions about these loans.

HSBC: Pensions

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what reports she has received on the practice of HSBC Bank plc to deduct state deduction claw-back from its pensioners.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions has received a number of written representations on the Midland Pension which is now part of the HSBC Bank (UK) Pension Schemes about its integrated pension scheme (or claw-back) policy from individuals and from Members of Parliament writing on their behalf.

Universal Credit

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124678, on Universal Credit, which programme is dealing with the implementation of the automated login system; and what the cost of that programme is.

Alok Sharma: The Universal Credit programme deals with the implementation of the automated login system. Overall investment costs of Universal Credit, for the 10 year lifetime of the programme, are estimated at £1.7bn.

Universal Credit: Domestic Violence

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training has been provided to his Department's employees who are engaged in administering universal credit on the specific needs and requirements of victims of domestic abuse in relation to their claim for such credit and other benefits.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provision is in place for universal credit payments to be made using Post Office or other non-bank account means to people who have an alternative payment arrangement in place as a result of domestic violence or financial coercion and abuse.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provision his Department has in place to review the initial waiting period in cases where a partner of a cohabiting or married household has left the household due to domestic violence and as a result is forced to make a new claim for universal credit.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provisions the Government has in place to ensure the timeous processing and payment of advance payments under universal credit to claimants leaving a household due to domestic abuse; and what processes the Government has in place to identify such claimants and ensure that they are made aware of advance payments in such circumstances.

Kit Malthouse: There is support in Universal Credit to help those in domestic abuse situations. For example the payment can be divided between two members of the household. This is known as a Split Payment and it is designed to prevent hardship to the claimant and their family. It can be considered in certain specific situations such as domestic violence or where financial abuse occurs or one partner mismanages the UC payment, but will not always be appropriate. In cases where the UC payment includes housing costs, a split payment would be accompanied by a Managed Payment to the landlord to safeguard the home and provide greater assistance for the claimant’s household.All Department for Work and Pensions staff working with customers complete training that prepares them for their role. This includes developing the skills they need to support and communicate with a diverse range of customers. Specific training is provided for working with different vulnerable groups, with guidance to signpost customers to relevant support, including people who have been the victims of domestic violence. And these circumstances will be recorded on a claimant’s online account so DWP staff are aware. Staff are expected to identify and support vulnerable claimants, recognise and consider the impact of complex circumstances and adjust the requirements expected from claimants.Furthermore, awareness training on the identification of claimants with complex needs is ongoing. A ‘hub’ of information which focuses on claimants with complex needs including victims of domestic violence is available to all staff, with a named single point of contact at each site.Claimants including those fleeing domestic violence can make a Universal Credit claim without a bank account, instructions are provided when they get to the bank account page of their online claim. Relatives or appointee’s bank accounts could also be used in the short term, however we would always prefer the claimant to have and use their own bank account which we can support them in obtaining. Claimants have access to post office accounts or simple payments if they do not have a bank account.Claimants fleeing domestic violence have always been exempt from waiting days and 100% advances are available to provide support in the first assessment period.Furthermore, the Department has taken steps to ensure that all Universal Credit claimants are aware of the availability of advances, including victims of domestic abuse and other vulnerable groups. Work Coaches identify and support vulnerable claimants, recognising and considering the impact of complex circumstances.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Yorkshire and the Humber

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of Yorkshire farmers receive direct payments and rural development support from the EU.

George Eustice: There are 12,346 farm holding in the Yorkshire and Humberside Unitary Authority of which 9,971 submitted an application for Basic Payment Scheme and 6,434 submitted applications under the various Agri-Environment Schemes. A range of businesses have been able to access grants and since the launch of the Rural Development Programme for England in 2014 a total of 348 projects in Yorkshire have received funding from 2,666 offered across England.

Dogs: Imports

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the number and countries of origin were of dogs imported into the UK for (a) non-commercial reasons under the Pet Travel Scheme and (b) commercial reasons in 2017.

George Eustice: The total number of dogs entering Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme in 2017 was 287,016. The list of countries that these dogs come from are listed in Annex 1.The purpose of the Pet Travel Scheme is to manage the risk of rabies entering the UK and to ensure appropriate vaccination, at an appropriate age, therefore the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) do not systematically record numbers for all imports from individual countries. The data for commercial dog imports found in Annex 2 was extracted from the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). In some cases imports are recorded on TRACES as ‘Canis familiaris / Felis catus’, so APHA is unable to distinguish between cat or dog imports. These are included in the table in the column ‘Mixed’. Leaving the European Union provides an opportunity to improve and modernise the legislation in this area and consider how APHA can collect more detail in the future.  



PETS import countries
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.46 KB)




Commercial Dogs
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Dogs: Electronic Training Aids

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department next plans to review the use of electronic shock collars for dogs.

George Eustice: We have made clear in the recently updated statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs that the use of any training method that includes physical punishment may cause can cause pain, injury and distress, lead to aggressive responses and worsen the problems they aim to address. However, we keep legislation in this area under review.

Microplastics: Marine Environment

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee plans to publish its review into the sources of microplastics and the damage caused by microplastics to the marine environment.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We anticipate that the committee will report back to us by spring this year.

Potatoes: Industry

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of the potato industry on their capacity to increase the amount of potatoes grown for (a) consumption and (b) consumption as processed foods.

George Eustice: In the last three months, officials have met regularly with industry representatives such as the Potato Processors Association, the Snack, Nut and Crisp Manufacturers Association, and the Fresh Potato Suppliers Association. Discussions on how best to develop the industry are ongoing. I am keen that officials maintain this high level of engagement with potato industry representatives. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) highlights the scope for the UK potato industry to increase its capacity through import substitution and increasing exports by providing a better value product to the supply chain in their ‘What might Brexit mean for UK trade in Potato Products?’ report. The AHDB dedicate 57% of AHDB – Potatoes’ levy expenditure to meet this challenge through targeted research and knowledge exchange programmes. Potato growers have access to Defra’s Rural Development Countryside Productivity scheme which aims to encourage and improve farm and forestry businesses, including those in the arable and horticulture sectors, to invest in a range of equipment to help improve their productivity and competitiveness.

Plastics: Bottles

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals for introducing a deposit return scheme for all PET plastic drinks bottles.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a deposit return scheme for beverage containers other than plastic bottles as part of his Department's waste strategy.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussion officials of his Department have had with representatives of Zero Waste Scotland on the potential merits of introducing a legislated deposit return scheme for plastic bottles.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: As part of the Litter Strategy for England, the Government has established the independent Voluntary and Economic Incentives working group. From 2 October to 20 November 2017 this working group held a call for evidence on measures to reduce littering of drinks containers and promote recycling. The focus was rigid and flexible plastic, glass or metal drinks containers that are sold sealed and used for the sale of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, often for consumption ‘on the go’. This included seeking evidence on the costs, benefits and impacts of deposit and reward and return schemes. The working group is currently analysing responses to this call for evidence, and is due to provide advice to Ministers on potential incentives for drinks containers shortly. Defra continues to work closely with the devolved administrations in delivering our shared ambitions to improve recycling outcomes in the UK. The Government is developing a new Resources and Waste Strategy that will be published this year. This will set out the detail of how we will meet the ambitions for resources and waste that are set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, Industrial Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan.

Goats: Milk

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department plans to provide to goat farmers affected by the loss of contracts as a result the oversupply of goat's milk.

George Eustice: The Government is aware of the predicament facing producers of goat’s milk following the decision by two processors to give notice of contract termination to at least some of their suppliers. Whilst this is fundamentally a commercial matter to which producers and processors are best placed to develop a sustainable solution, we welcome the recent statement from the Milking Goats Association encouraging goats’ milk producers to engage closely with their processors, and to establish export relationships and new markets.

Home Office

Home Office: Presidents Club

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any Ministers in her Department attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner run by the Meller Educational Trust in an official capacity.

Amber Rudd: No Home Office Minister attended the Presidents Club Charity Dinner.

Refugees: Employment

Mrs Kemi Badenoch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to update guidance on the gov.uk website on the rights of refugees to work.

Caroline Nokes: Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, including those who are resettled to the UK, have the right to work here without any restrictions. There is guidance available on Gov.UK that provides information about the help that refugees can receive to find work, and the benefits to which they are entitled: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/refugees-guidance-about-benefits-and-pensions/help-available-from-the-department-for-work-and-pensions-for-people-who-have-been-granted-leave-to-remain-in-the-uk.Where applicable, employers can check whether an individual has the right to work using the Employer Checking Service. Guidance on using this service can be found on Gov.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work.Asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the UK unless their claim has been outstanding for at least 12 months through no fault of their own. Those who are allowed to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List. This is made clear on Gov.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/claim-asylum.

Forensic Science

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many forensic firms used by police forces in England and Wales have failed to meet official quality standards since 2012.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many forensic firms used by police forces in England and Wales have gained formal accreditation to carry out digital forensic science work.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many forensic firms used by police forces in England and Wales have no accreditation to carry out digital forensic science work.

Mr Nick Hurd: It is a commercial decision for individual police forces which forensic service providers they use, and no central information has been held since 2016 when the National Forensic Framework ended.If a forensic service provider requests it the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) assesses compliance against the Forensic Science Regulator’s Codes of Practice. The details and scope of individual forensic service providers accreditation status is listed on the UKAS website.

Forensic Science

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the amount saved in costs associated with forensic work since abolishing the Forensic Science Service in 2012.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office has not made such an assessment. However, by 2010 the Forensic Science Service was losing an estimated £2m per month of taxpayers’ money in. It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to manage the cost effectiveness of their services.

Forensic Science

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to review the (a) value for money and (b) effectiveness of outsourcing criminal forensic work.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office keeps this under review.

Forensic Science

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of outsourcing digital forensic science casework to firms without any accreditation for that work.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office keeps this under review.

Forensic Science

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what processes are in place to deal with the failings by forensic firms to follow correct procedures in digital forensic science set out in the 2017 Annual Report of the Forensic Science Regulator, published in January 2018.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Forensic Science Regulator has produced guidance in her Codes of Practice and Conduct. The Government has made it clear that all forensic service providers are expected to follow this, and any associated guidance. Any breaches are considered on a case by case basis, with the Forensic Science Regulator working closely with the UK Accreditation Service.

Bail

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average timescale has been for a person to be released under investigation by the police since the implementation of the Policing and Crime Act 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd: The information is not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

John Worboys

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of complaints by victims and alleged victims of John Worboys which were subsequently marked as cleared up for the purposes of her Department's counting rules.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of complaints made by victims and alleged victims of John Worboys which were subsequently deemed to have been taken into consideration.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of victims and alleged victims of John Worboys who were subsequently told that their complaint had been marked as cleared up.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of victims and alleged victims of John Worboys who were told that if their complaint was deemed to be cleared up and the subject of no further action that there could be no further reinvestigation of that complaint.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the complaints made about John Worboys were subsequently deemed to have been Not Detected; and whether it is permissible for such complaints to be be reinvestigated at a future date.

Mr Nick Hurd: The investigation of offences is an operational matter for the police. In the case of alleged offences already reported to the police which did not meet the evidential threshold for prosecution, the police may decide to resume investigations where new evidence comes to light.

Schools: Knives

Sarah Jones: To ask the Minister for the Home Office, with reference to the Department for Education's consultation, Keeping children safe in education; proposed revisions, launched on 14 December 2017, what plans she has to review her Department's guidance, Advice to schools and colleges on gangs and youth violence, published on 2 August 2013 in respect of knife offences on school premises.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office is working with the Department for Education to make clear in the updated guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education the risks of carrying knives and raise awareness about this issue among education practitioners.We have awarded £765,000 from the new anti-knife crime community fund launched in October 2017 to support local communities to tackle knife crime, including supporting knife crime awareness sessions delivered in schools. In addition, we continue to encourage police forces to take part in the anti-knife crime weeks of action under Operation Sceptre and as part of this action police forces have delivered education sessions in schools.We have also launched a consultation on new laws on offensive weapons. The consultation was closed on 9 December and we are now considering the responses. The proposals included legislation to extend the knife possession offence currently applying to schools to education institutions other than schools.In July 2017 we published guidance to help frontline practitioners, including education professionals, identify victims of county lines and make appropriate referrals. We keep our guidance under review and we will consider whether our ‘Advice to Schools and Colleges on Gangs and Youth Violence’, which was revised in 2015 to adapt it to primary schools, needs to be updated.

Marriage Certificates

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124619, whether the Government plans to support the (a) Registration of Marriage Bill [Lords] and (b) Registration of Marriage (No 2) Bill; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The Registration of Marriage Bill [ Lords ] received its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Friday 26 January 2018. The Minister of State for the Home Office (Baroness Williams of Trafford) commented that “the Bill will reform the way marriages are registered and enable updating of the marriage entry to allow for the inclusion of mothers’ names. This is a very important issue that the Government fully support”. The Registration of Marriage (No 2) Bill has not yet received a Second Reading, but seeks similar changes to current legislation.

Home Office: Voting Rights

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to mark the centenary of women getting the right to vote in 1918.

Victoria Atkins: The government has set aside £5m to celebrate this milestone in British democracy. Goverment wants to ensure that we support a range of organisations and communities to get involved.£1.5million will be available to organisations and communities through a grants scheme. Further information can be found at: www.womensvotecentenaryfund.co.ukIn the Autumn budget, the Chancellor announced that £1.2million of the centenary fund would go directly to seven Centenary Cities and towns in England with a strong suffrage history, to strengthen the reach and legacy of regional activity to inspire a new generation with this story.My Officials in the Government Equalities Office are developing an exciting national programme to celebrate and remember the suffrage movement. This includes funding the statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square, and a suite of education programmes in partnership with the Department for Education and the Cabinet Office.

Hunting Act 2004: Cheshire

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the level of enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004 in Cheshire; and if she will make an statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member for Weaver Vale on 15 January 2018, UIN 121711.

Visas

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proprotion of visa applications have been categorised as non-straightforward by the UKVI unit in the past 3 years.

Caroline Nokes: The information on the number of visa applications categorised as non-straightforward is published as part of the Migration Transparency data, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data

Slavery

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers her Department has when notified by the submission of an MS1 form of a potential victim of modern slavery in the event that the alleged victim has not consented to being referred.

Victoria Atkins: Section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act places a duty on specified public authorities to notify the Secretary of State, or if so provided by the Secretary of State in regulations, another public authority, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a person may be a victim of slavery or human trafficking.Section 52, Subsection (3) provides that identifying information about an adult potential victim of slavery or trafficking should only be included in a notification where the individual concerned has given their consent.In the event that a potential victim does not consent to be referred into the NRM process, Home Office powers extend as far as is enabled by existing legislation. The Modern Slavery Unit will ensure that any MS1 forms received are referred to the relevant police force, if not already done so by the first responder making the referral. In addition, the Home Office collects MS1 data to share with operational partners including the police and National Crime Agency to improve the understanding of the nature and scale of modern slavery.

Slavery

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how she plans to evaluate the outcome of the modern slavery strategy; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: The UK Government has had an ambitious Modern Slavery Strategy in place since 2014. Significant progress has been made in implementing the Strategy which has been monitored through performance indicators relating to individual parts of the Strategy.The 2017 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery details the steps the UK has taken to combat modern slavery including through implementation of the Modern Slavery Strategy. The report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2017-uk-annual-report-on-modern-slavery

Slavery: Business

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has for monitoring compliance by businesses with the requirements placed on them by the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Victoria Atkins: As a result of the world-leading provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we have seen thousands of transparency statements published and businesses are now more focused on this issue than ever before. The legislation was designed to harness pressure from civil society and we are pleased that NGOs are using company statements to hold businesses to account, including contacting businesses that have not yet published statements.No injunctions have yet been issued at this early stage of implementation and the Government is taking other action to improve implementation. The Government has strengthened guidance for businesses and recently wrote to over 10,000 businesses that may be required to publish statements reminding them of their obligations and providing useful resources. We expect this activity will further increase the number of statements published.In October the Government also launched a new ‘Business Against Slavery Forum’. This aims to establish a new partnership between Government and business to accelerate progress in tackling modern slavery. It will focus on sharing best practice and building new initiatives to tackle modern slavery, including improving business engagement with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Public Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on (a) art, (b) wine and (c) hospitality in each of the last seven financial years for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not purchased any original art in any of the last seven financial years; all artwork in our buildings is on loan from the government art collection or the National Galleries of Scotland. The Scotland Office does not separately record wine costs. Any such costs will be met from within the Office's events or hospitality budget. All expenditure incurred is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.The hospitality spend is shown below:2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17£27,793£25,466£37,865£24,973£9,905£8,987£453 From 2016, events spend has been recorded separately to hospitality spend. This is reflected in the figures above and I refer the hon Member to my answer to the hon Member for Edinburgh North and Leith on 14 December 2017 (UIN 118330).

Department for Exiting the European Union

Anguilla

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government has made an assessment of the effect on Anguilla of the UK leaving the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK Government is working closely with Anguilla, and the other Overseas Territories, to enable them to understand the implications of the UK leaving the EU, through the creation of the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on European Negotiations. This forum is co-chaired by DExEU and FCO ministers and convened on three occasions in 2017. In addition, the Prime Minister also met with the leaders of the Overseas Territories last November. Going forward, we have been clear that we want to negotiate a new relationship with the EU that works for the whole of the extended British family and have committed to continue working closely with the Overseas Territories as the negotiations progress.

Customs Unions

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the UK's ability to agree international trade deals after leaving the EU in the event that it is still a member of the EU Customs Union.

Mr Robin Walker: During the implementation period, participating in a customs union should not preclude us from formally negotiating — or indeed signing — trade agreements. Although, of course, they would not enter into force until the implementation period has ended. After the implementation period, the whole of the UK will be leaving the Customs Union and Single Market and implementing our own independent trade policy. There has been no change to that position.

Brexit

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 124027, what the reasons are for his Department's policy that listing the titles of such assessments would undermine the UK’s negotiating position.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union is undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work across a range of scenarios. Listing the titles of all market access assessments would likely impact the UK’s negotiating position by implying broader priorities of Government work. As we have stated, it is also not standard practice to provide a running commentary on ongoing analysis.

UK Notified Bodies

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department have had with the EU Commission on the future of UK notified bodies.

Mr Robin Walker: We are working closely with Member States and our partners in the EU institutions to negotiate the best deal for the UK and the EU. As set out in the Government’s August 2017 position paper ‘Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK’, we want compliance activity, including conformity assessments from notified bodies, carried out prior to exit to be recognised in both the UK and the EU to support a smooth exit and the move to a deep and special future relationship. We’ve been engaging extensively with the EU on these matters. After reaching sufficient progress and moving onto the second phase of the negotiations, we look forward to beginning discussions on the framework for a future relationship. We will continue to work closely with notified bodies in the next stages.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he will seek confirmation from EU negotiators that paragraph 47 of the Joint Technical Note of 8 December 2017, on healthcare arrangements, will extend, upon retirement, to (a) persons whose competent state is the UK and are in the EU 27 but have not retired on the specified date of the UK's withdrawal from the EU and (b) persons whose competent state is an EU 27 country and are in the UK but have not retired on the specified date.

Mr Robin Walker: From the very beginning the Prime Minister has been clear that safeguarding the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU was her first priority for negotiations. We have now reached an agreement with the EU on reciprocal healthcare arrangements for the purposes of the Withdrawal Agreement, including for UK and EU27 state pensioners who are in scope of the agreement, including those that have not yet reached retirement. As part of this, reciprocal healthcare rights for UK state pensioners resident in the EU27 who have not yet reached retirement on the specified date are protected in their Member State of residence, once they start drawing their state pension. The same applies equally to EU27 state pensioners resident in the UK on the specified date who have not yet reached retirement.

Brexit

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, for what reasons the document EU Exit Analysis – Cross Whitehall Briefing was seen by journalists before hon. Members were given access to it.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans his Department has to publish the document EU Exit Analysis – Cross Whitehall Briefing.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish the names of the individuals outside of Government who had access to the document EU Exit Analysis – Cross Whitehall Briefing.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government does not comment on leaks or ongoing leak enquiries. The document to which the question refers represents preliminary analysis and has only very recently been presented to ministers. It does not reflect this Government’s policy, and is not representative of the expected outcome of the negotiations. Ministers have a duty not to publish anything that could risk exposing our negotiation position.The Government has agreed to make this analysis available to the EU Exit Select Committee and to all members of both Houses through a confidential reading room, once arrangements can be made.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Voting Rights

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department plans to mark the centenary of women getting the right to vote in 1918.

Mr Robin Walker: This year marks the centenary of British women securing the right to vote. We should not forget what it took to achieve that. The government has set aside £5m to celebrate this important milestone in our democracy. Events are being planned across government to honour the extraordinary sacrifices made by the many suffragettes and the landmark changes they brought about.The Department for Exiting the European Union’s staff networks are planning a number of events and activities to mark the centenary. These include celebrating International Women's day and participating in a wider civil service event bringing together former, current and future leaders to discuss the important contributions women have made, and continue to make, in the civil service.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Public Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent on (a) art, (b) wine and (c) hospitality in each financial year since its establishment.

Greg Hands: Since the formation of the department in July 2016 there has been no spend on art. Art on display is on loan from the Government Art Collection. It is not possible to separate the cost of wine from other catering and hospitality. As a representative department, small amounts of alcohol may be served where appropriate to the importance of the occasion.

Small Businesses: Trade Promotion

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the level of business interest in the great.gov.uk digital platform.

Graham Stuart: Great.gov.uk is a digital platform with a suite of digital tools built to help UK businesses expand their reach overseas and secure their place on the global stage.UK and overseas marketing activity and DIT’s commercial partnerships are used to promote the platform.In the 14 months since great.gov.uk was launched in November 2016, great.gov.uk has been visited by nearly 2.8 million unique users. Of these: The Invest tool, which promotes the UK as an obvious destination for inward investment, has received over 764,000 online visits with over 1,200 enquiriesThe Export Opportunities tool has received over 67,000 responses from UK businesses to 13,000 published export opportunities, which have been gathered and published by our network of in-post Embassy and High Commission trade experts, as well as overseas partner stakeholdersThe Trade Profile tool has published over 2,600 verified UK business profiles, presenting them to a wide network of prospective overseas buyers and partnersThe Export Readiness tool, which went live in December 2017 and helps UK businesses see how export-ready they are, and presents them with tailored information has already been used by 710 companies. Activity is planned to promote this platform further to the UK and overseas businesses.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Public Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on (a) art, (b) wine and (c) hospitality in each of the last seven financial years for which figures are available.

Michael Ellis: Figures for hospitality can be found in the table below. Wine is not purchased independently but included within catering expenditure on hospitality. It is not possible to identify the cost of wine within amounts paid and accrued for hospitality catering.  Financial YrHospitalityCateringH&C201718 YTD2301723400 46,417 2016/171013042068 52,198 2015/16-341513059 9,644 2014/156271254432 117,144 2013/14381614920 18,736 2012/131798037475 55,455 2011/123978831527 71,315 2010/11405721371 41,943Total 194,600  218,252  412,852   We do not hold figures for spending on art, separate from the Government Art Collection

Data Protection

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to submit an application to the EU Commission for a determination of the adequacy of UK data protection arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: On 24 August, the Government published a future partnership paper on how to ensure the continued protection and exchange of personal data between the EU and the UK, in light of the UK's withdrawal from, and new partnership with, the EU. The Government believes it would be in the interests of both the UK and the EU to agree early to mutually recognise each other’s’ data protection frameworks, as the basis for the continued free flow of data between the EU and the UK from the point of exit until such time as new and more permanent arrangements come​ ​into​ ​force. As negotiations on the nature of our future data and trade relationship have not begun, it would be inappropriate to speculate in any detail as to what arrangements we will seek to put in place. Our objective remains to ensure continued data flows between the EU and countries outside the EEA once the UK leaves the EU. In doing so we will be considering all the available options that will provide legal certainty for businesses and citizens alike.

Local Broadcasting: Television

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the commercial value of local television.

Margot James: Local TV is a relatively new market that has enhanced UK television with quality local news and programming, adding value to the broadcasting industry and increasing plurality in UK news provision. Currently there are 34 local television services on air in the UK. Ofcom reported 1732 hours of first-run local programming broadcast by local TV services in 2015, of which 734 hours were first-run local news and current affairs programmes. This equates to just over 33 hours per week of first-run local programming and around 14 hours per week of first-run local news and current affairs. In 2016, reported revenue sources for the sector included advertising (56% of total revenue), BBC funding (30%), Non-commercial income (6%), and other commercial revenue (8%).

Radio Frequencies: EU Action

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the UK will be able to participate in the EU’s spectrum policy framework after the UK leaves the EU.

Margot James: The European Electronic Communications Framework is currently subject to re-negotiation by Member States of the EU, renamed the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC). Spectrum management forms a part of this legislation. The UK, as a current member of the EU, is taking a full part in this re-negotiation. We anticipate that the EECC will be adopted by the EU prior to the UK leaving the EU. The Government’s white paper “Legislating for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union” says that: “In order to achieve a stable and smooth transition, the Government’s overall approach is to convert the body of existing EU law into domestic law, after which Parliament (and, where appropriate, the devolved legislatures) will be able to decide which elements of that law to keep, amend or repeal once we have left the EU. This ensures that, as a general rule, the same rules and laws will apply after we leave the EU as they did before.”

Mobile Phones: Fees and Charges

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effects on consumers of the UK exiting the EU’s Wholesale Roaming Market.

Margot James: The Government is committed to securing the best deal for British consumers on UK exit from the EU. Two operators have committed publicly to continue surcharge-free roaming in the EU on UK exit. All mobile operators are in a competitive market. By the day of Exit, UK consumers will have had surcharge-free roaming in the EU and EEA for over two years. This will drive consumer expectation and behaviour. However, the future of the UK's roaming arrangements is inherently a cross-border issue, and is therefore subject to negotiations with the EU.

Ofcom

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 Dec 2017 to Question 120368, on how many occasions the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has written to the chief executive of Ofcom since Ofcom was established.

Margot James: As set out in our answer to PQ 120368, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will rightly have cause to write to Ofcom in the general course of business, and successive Secretaries of State have done so on a range of matters in the 15 years since Ofcom was established. It would not be practicable to itemize every piece of correspondence during that period.

Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press Inquiry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport single departmental plan, published on 29 January 2018, how many civil servants in his Department are working on considering how to take forward actions relating to the Leveson Inquiry.

Margot James: The total number of civil servants working on taking forward actions relating to the Leveson Inquiry varies from time to time, with policy and legal teams working flexibly to deliver government priorities.

Public Libraries: WiFi

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the  number and proportion of libraries offering free wifi access.

Michael Ellis: Government funding of £2.6 million provided in 2015/16 enabled the installation or upgrade of Wi-Fi in over 1,000 libraries in England, resulting in over 99% of public libraries in England now offering free Wi-Fi.

Gambling: Children

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of problem gamblers aged 18 and under.

Tracey Crouch: The Gambling Commission published its annual Young People and Gambling report in December 2017. This showed that the percentage of children who had spent their own money on gambling in the last week had fallen to 12%, from 16% in 2016. The drop in participation rates is statistically significant.   The results were based on a survey of 2,881 11-16 year olds in Great Britain. Of that 2,881, 0.9% (22 boys and 3 girls) were considered problem gamblers. Due to small sample sizes and changes in the population surveyed, this is not a statistically significant change from last year, which found a rate of 0.4%. Protecting children and the vulnerable from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core objective of the regulation of gambling in Great Britain, and a priority for the government. In October the government published a consultation on Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility across the industry. The consultation closed on 23 January, and we will consider all responses and publish our response and next steps in due course.

Business: ICT

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) tech start up businesses and (b) the tech sector.

Margot James: We are committed to supporting the booming UK tech sector. The UK is already a world-leading digital economy with the sector contributing over £116Bn per year in gross value added and is growing twice as fast as the wider economy. Our ground-breaking digital strategy, published in March, set out how we intend to make the UK the best place to start and grow a digital business, and we are already delivering on those aims.In November, our industrial strategy included commitments to boost spending on the infrastructure of the future, spreading 5G digital connectivity right across the country, raising investment in research and development, and improving skills by investing in maths, digital and technical education - all of which will support the continued success of the tech sector. In the Autumn Budget, we also announced a further investment of £21 million to expand Tech City UK into a nationwide network – Tech Nation – aimed at accelerating the growth of the digital tech sector across the country. Tech Nation will support 40,000 entrepreneurs and up to 4,000 start-ups as they scale their businesses. Tech Nation will build on the success of its London and Northern clusters, delivering support for digital tech businesses in 11 cities across the UK. This will develop new regional clusters to boost burgeoning tech firms in cities such as Belfast, Cardiff and Newcastle. The Budget also announced a doubling of the Enterprise Investment Scheme for knowledge intensive companies - including in the tech sector - and announced a 10-year action plan to unlock over £20 billion to finance growth in innovative firms.

Mass Media: Regulation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2108 to Question 123266, on Mass Media: Regulation, how much has been spent from existing departmental budgets on consulting on section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 and Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry.

Margot James: The costs of consulting on s40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 and Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry have all been met from within existing departmental budgets.